Staff Perspectives of Implementing a Yoga Intervention with Chronic Pain Self-Management in a Clinical Setting

Background and Purpose: Chronic pain affects millions of Americans and can be addressed through multiple modalities, interventions, and strategies. Yoga and self-management have been proven effective in treating chronic pain, but little translational research has been conducted to examine the feasibility and implementation of these interventions into clinical settings. Therefore, we examined staff perceptions regarding the feasibility of implementing yoga along with established self-management at a chronic pain management clinic.

Methods: Using a qualitative case-study approach, we conducted 13 interviews with the yoga intervention and self-management staff.  Interview questions were semi-structured and related to the strengths and limitations of implementing our yoga intervention with ongoing self-management. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.  We then employed a theoretically driven analysis using Fixsen’s (2015) Implementation Drivers: Assessing Best Practices model to explore barriers and facilitators related to project implementation.

Results: Our findings suggest that positive staff and patient attitudes were crucial for successful implementation. We also identified physical space, transportation, and supportive leadership as necessary components of project implementation.

Conclusions and Implications: Social workers regularly engage with individuals experiencing chronic pain.  It is important for social workers to be aware of effective interventions for chronic pain treatment, including yoga and self-management.  To improve chronic pain outcomes, macro social workers should work to productively implement these types of interventions into clinical and community settings.  For successful yoga and self-management implementation, it will be important for social workers to foster positive attitudes among staff, participants, and setting leadership. Further research is needed to examine barriers such as funding to ensure intervention sustainability and the need for adequate staffing.