Effects of a Structured Yoga Program on Pain, Functional Disability, and Psychological Stress in Cervical Spondylosis

Abstract

Background: Cervical spondylosis, a common degenerative disorder of the cervical spine, is frequently associated with chronic pain,  functional limitations, and elevated psychological stress, particularly among working-age individuals. Although yoga is increasingly  recommended as a complementary therapy, quantitative evidence supporting its structured application in cervical spondylosis  remains limited.
Methods: A quantitative pre-test–post-test study design was employed involving 155 female participants aged 25–55 years diagnosed  with cervical spondylosis. Participants underwent an eight-week structured yoga intervention. Outcome measures included the  Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain intensity, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for functional impairment, and the Perceived Stress  Scale (PSS) for psychological stress. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests, regression analysis, descriptive statistics, and  effect size estimation.
Results: Paired sample t-tests revealed statistically significant reductions across all three outcomes following the intervention: pain  intensity (t = 18.42, df = 154, p < .001), functional disability (t = 16.05, df = 154, p < .001), and psychological stress (t = 14.67, df  = 154, p < .001). Large effect sizes were observed for pain (Cohen’s d = 1.48), functional disability (d = 1.29), and psychological  stress (d = 1.17). Regression analysis indicated that participation in the yoga program significantly predicted improvements in pain intensity (β = −0.68, p < .001), functional disability (β = −0.64, p < .001), and psychological stress (β = −0.59, p < .001).
Conclusion: A structured yoga program is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in pain, functional capacity, and  psychological stress in individuals with cervical spondylosis. These findings support yoga as a viable non-pharmacological adjunct  in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. Future research should employ randomized controlled designs with long-term follow-up to  strengthen causal inference.