Yoga eases Cancer Side Effects

October 17th, 2006 

A client of mine recently came to pilates class reporting that her business partner was diagnosed with between stage 2 and 3 breast cancer.  She is only 37, active, a non-smoker and healthy eater.  I suggested that my client's friend join us for free yoga during her treatment.  I felt like it was the least I could do to offer solace in the face of a frightening storm.  A recent article in ACE FitnessMatters magazine reported that women going through cancer treatment felt better when they tried yoga.  Although the study was small (61 women), reserachers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center are hopeful about study results.  The participants had already undergone surgery and were getting 6 weeks of radiation.  Thirty women were assigned to take yoga classes twice a week during their radiation treatments while the others did no yoga.  After the 6 week period, the yoga group scored consistently better in their feelings of fatigue, their sense of well-being, general quality of life, ability to perform physicial activities and various daily living tasks.  Researchers are hoping to repeat a similar study with a stretching group and yoga group to determine if yoga has a profound difference.  It is exciting to know that more scientific research is being planned for complementary therapies as I believe that movement heals on so many different levels.  There is something calming in knowing that at a yoga class you have a full hour of focusing on your breath, forgetting about everything else and enjoying the gift of the moment.  I think the yogi's are on to something here.....especially when it comes to improving the lives of women undergoing breast cancer treatment.