Yoga relieves pain and fatigue of breast cancer for many patients
Breast cancer affects millions of women in the U.S. and causes a great deal of stress, anxiety and fear. Although chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many of these patients, the pain and side effects that are often associated with it may induce even more tension and frustration.
However, more of these individuals are turning to yoga as a powerful method of pain management, according to The Independent.
Researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recruited a total of 163 women with an average age of 52, all of whom were undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer. The participants were randomly divided into groups, one of which engaged in yoga while the other performed simple stretching exercises. A third set of subjects did not exercise.
The one-hour sessions were held three times a week over a course of six weeks. At the end of the study, the women in the yoga and stretching groups reported having more energy, compared to those in the non-exercise group.
"This is particularly important because higher stress hormone levels throughout the day, known as a blunted circadian cortisol rhythm, have been linked to worse outcomes in breast cancer," the researchers concluded, quoted by the news source.
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Tags: breast cancer, chemotherapy, pain management
