Additional Resources
Research Studies
Yoga Among Survivors Subject of Research
By Anna Shaffer, LBBC Staff
Yoga can reduce stress, improve quality of life and enhance physical and emotional health in women affected by breast cancer, recent studies show
Yoga for Cancer Patients and Survivors, Volume 12, July 2005, No. 3.
Read the review of yoga research in cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, practicing yoga may reduce stress and improve your overall quality of life, according to results from several studies reviewed in the July 2005 issue of the Moffitt Cancer Center’s Cancer Control Journal.
Background
Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to help achieve a sense of physical and mental well being by strengthening and energizing the body, reducing stress and stimulating mental clarity.
Many styles of yoga are practiced in the United States. Over the last several decades, researchers have begun to investigate the effects of these different styles in a number of populations, including women diagnosed with breast cancer.
This article, authored by Julienne E. Bower, PhD, Alison Woolery, MA, Beth Sternlieb, and Deborah Garet, MPH, provides a detailed review of yoga research conducted with cancer survivors, including published papers and abstracts of conference presentations. It also provides an introduction to the practice of yoga.
Results
The article reviewed nine studies conducted until March 2005 in people with a variety of cancer diagnoses and at various stages of treatment. The studies used diverse styles of yoga that emphasized different factors, such as postures, breathing, meditation, and relaxation, and involved varying degrees of intensity. Each style of yoga offers a different type of treatment, the authors noted.
Participants in these studies reported improvements in areas such as sleep quality, mood, stress, cancer-related distress, cancer-related symptoms, and overall quality of life. Each study had different results depending on the type of cancer, stage of disease and stage of treatment. Among the findings:
- An early study in India of 50 people with cancer undergoing radiation therapy, and no control group, showed a 90-minute yoga session twice a week improved appetite, sleep, digestion and feelings of peace and tranquility
- A randomized trial studied the impact of Tibetan yoga among 58 women with early-stage breast cancer. Those who practiced yoga reported fewer cancer-related symptoms at a one-week follow-up and less cancer-related distress at a three-month follow-up
- A study of ethnically diverse women with breast cancer compared a very small group who participated in a Hatha yoga class with those who did not. Those who practiced yoga showed no changes in headaches, numbness and social well-being but reported a significant improvement in emotional well-being
Although results from these studies provide preliminary support for the benefits of yoga for women affected by breast cancer, due to small sample size, lack of a control group, inadequate statistical analysis, adherence to study guidelines and other limitations, the findings require further research.
Yoga Unites for Living Beyond Breast Cancer
If you would like to experience yoga and test its potential benefits, join LBBC for a morning of yoga and healthy living you’ll not soon forget. All ages and skill levels are welcome at this basic, outdoor yoga class set against the Philadelphia skyline. Proceeds from Yoga Unites benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s education and support programs.
For more information and to register, go to http://www.lbbc.org/event-detail.asp?c=special&t=participate&sn=fundraising&id=78
