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Study Validates Stress-Relieving Benefits
of Yoga for Breast Cancer Patients
W
ith October being Breast
Cancer Awareness month,
there are more reasons to
propagate evidence-based benefits of
alternative treatments like meditation and
yoga to cancer patients.
A study from the University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center reveals that
“for women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers
unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue.”
In an article published on
mdanderson.org, the findings indicate
that patients who included yoga into their
treatment plan experienced improved
physical functioning, better general health
and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.
They also were better able to find
meaning in their cancer experience.
The study, led by Lorenzo Cohen,
Ph.D., professor and director of the
Integrative Medicine Program at MD
Anderson, is one of the many efforts to
scientifically validate the belief that
mind-body interventions have a beneficial impact on the health of cancer
patients. The research was conducted in
collaboration with India’s largest yoga
research institution, Swami Vivekananda
Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in
Bangalore, India.
“The combination of mind and body
practices that are part of yoga clearly have
tremendous potential to help patients
manage the psychosocial and physical distress associated with treatment and life
after cancer, beyond the benefits of simple
stretching,” says Cohen.
10 PULSE
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October 2011
A total of 163 women with breast
cancer (stage 0-3), averaging 52 years of
age, were randomly grouped in three: 1)
Those that practice yoga; 2) Those that
do simple stretching; and 3) Those
without instructions in yoga or stretching.
Participants in the yoga groups attended
an hour-long, three-day-a-week yoga sessions throughout their six weeks of
radiation treatment.
The findings revealed that only the
women in the yoga and stretching
groups reported a reduction in fatigue.
At one, three and six months after radiation therapy, women who practiced yoga
during the treatment period reported
greater benefits to physical functioning
and general health. They were more
likely to perceive positive life changes
from their cancer experience than either
of the other groups.
Women who practiced yoga also had
the steepest decline in cortisol levels, indicating that yoga had the ability to regulate
this stress hormone. This is particularly
important because higher stress hormone
levels throughout the day have been linked
to worse outcomes in breast cancer.
According to Cohen, developing a
yoga practice also helps patients after
completing cancer treatment. “The transition from active therapy back to everyday
life can be very stressful as patients no
longer receive the same level of medical
care and attention. Teaching patients a
mind-body technique like yoga as a
coping skill can make the transition less
difficult.”