ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TRADITIONAL INDIAN YOGA BASED EXERCISES PROGRAM IN IMPROVING BALANCE AND REDUCING FALLS AMONG ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRAIL

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) in elderly individuals significantly increases the risk of falls, leading to reduced mobility and quality of life. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a traditional Indian Yoga-based exercise program in improving balance and reducing falls among elderly patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 128 participants (aged ≥60 years) with knee or hip OA, randomly assigned to either a Yoga intervention group or a control group receiving standard care. The Yoga program consisted of 60-minute sessions held thrice weekly for 12 weeks. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks, including the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, fall incidence, pain intensity, WOMAC score, and Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). Results: The Yoga group showed significant improvements in BBS scores (between-group difference at 12 weeks: 5.9 points, p<0.001) and TUG test times (between-group difference at 12 weeks: -2.3 seconds, p<0.001) compared to the control group. Fall incidence in the Yoga group was significantly lower (incidence rate ratio: 0.56, p<0.001). Pain intensity, WOMAC scores, and FES-I scores also improved significantly in the Yoga group. These improvements were largely maintained at the 24-week follow-up. Conclusion: The traditional Indian Yoga-based exercise program demonstrated significant effectiveness in improving balance, reducing falls, and enhancing overall function in elderly patients with osteoarthritis. These findings suggest that Yoga could be a valuable addition to standard care protocols for fall prevention and OA management in this population.