The medical treatment needed to gun down breast cancer often leaves patients feeling fatigued and glum - but this does not have to be the case anymore, because a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Nursing has shone new light on the important benefits of engaging in yoga.

The study

The study, which was carried out by researcher Amy Speed-Andrews, focused on the effects of lyengar yoga on groups of breast cancer patients who had undergone treatment.

Individual respondents of the study were asked to participate in lyengar yoga classes for a total of 10 weeks.  After collecting the available data from the groups of breast cancer patients and the feedback they provided through the special questionnaires, Speed-Andrews found out that:

1. 94% of the respondents felt that their quality of life have improved after taking the lyengar yoga classes.

2. 88% of the respondents reported that they generally felt better, physically, after yoga.

3. 87% of the respondents stated that they felt happier after the classes.

4. 80% of the respondents felt less fatigued or tired after the 10-week yoga engagement.

5. Other respondents also stated that they worried less of their body images and experienced lower levels of stress.  Patients were also able to naturally reduce their anxiety about treatment and possible outcomes, as well as reduce their level of depression.

According to Speed-Adams, the results of the study on the groups of actual breast cancer patients were significant because often, the cancer treatments resulted in chronic pain and even depression.

Now there was a way for breast cancer patients to naturally fight back the negative after-effects of their condition and its treatments, so they can resume their lives with ease and happiness.  Nothing could be better than this gift - less pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression.

The Wake Forest study

A related study, this time published in the journal Psycho-Oncology, highlighted the emotional benefits of restorative yoga to women who are presently dealing with breast cancer.

According to this research, regular restorative yoga sessions were able to reduce the incidence of clinical depression in breast cancer patients by as much as fifty percent.

General feelings of peace also increased to twelve percent immediately after the yoga sessions ended.

Suzzane Danhauer MD, the lead researcher from the Wake Forest University stated that the mind-body connection should never be underestimated when it comes to improving the quality of life of cancer patients.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com