Yoga can help breast cancer patients: Study
A new study suggests yoga can help breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy to overcome a major side effect of this treatment method.
Radiation therapy is one of the main treatments for cancer, and one of the most common side effects of the treatment is fatigue.
However, new research from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, yoga may combat this side effect by regulating stress hormones, improving the quality of life beyond treatment.
The study findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
To assess whether yoga could provide health benefits for breast cancer patients, the researchers analyzed 191 women with stages 0-3 of the disease.
All women were randomized into three groups: yoga, simple stretching or no instruction in yoga or stretching. The women in the yoga or simple stretching groups were required to attend 1-hour classes for 3 days a week during the course of their 6-week radiation treatment. All sessions were tailored to breast cancer patients.
During the study period, the women were asked to report on their quality of life, including levels of fatigue and depression, sleep quality and how they were able to function on a daily basis.
The researchers concluded that yoga helped the patients fight fatigue and improve the quality of their lives.
Yoga is an ancient exercise that originated in India around 5,000 years ago. The activity combines physical postures, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and meditation, and it has been associated with other health benefits.
Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that yoga can help lower blood pressure, while a 2012 study suggested that the exercise may help prevent adolescent mental problems.
Source: presstv.com
