Yoga and Cancer Diagnosis

American scientists studying the problem of portability of patient chemotherapy and radiotherapy (appointed in oncology), found that regular exercise of yoga helps them to endure this painful treatment, which is usually accompanied by a mass of side effects.

First of all, yoga is somewhat reduces fatigue, fatigue patients, improves sleep, it was confirmed in a study conducted by a group of American scientists. Interest in this issue did not arise by chance - in recent years the number of people interested in yoga, is growing rapidly. This must be some explanation, not only in terms of improved well-being of relatively healthy people, but also in terms of assistance to the chronically ill.

Yoga as an ally in the struggle with the side effects of treatment

The practice of yoga takes a prominent place in the arsenal of maintenance therapy, which also includes such well-known techniques like acupuncture, special massage, balneotherapy, and more. The ultimate illustration of the effectiveness of adjuvant therapy was the report of a research team at the last meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago. In the report, scientists said that yoga helped patients cope with fatigue - one of the most common and most unpleasant side-effects from treatment. Three-quarters of patients claim that chemotherapy pathological fatigue is postponed even worse than hair loss, pain and nausea. Thus, for this group of patients with yoga can be a way out, will help cope with the adverse side effects.

The study was entitled YOCAS - Yoga for cancer survivors, it was conducted among 410 cancer patients in the initial stages (Prof. Karen Mustian, Research Institute of Rochester, New York). Many patients during cancer treatment suffer from sleep disorders - due to daytime sleepiness, weakness, fatigue, which, of course, affects the quality of life. Participants were divided into two groups, the first of which were conducted yoga classes for 4 weeks, in contrast to the second group. Ongoing classes include breathing exercises and meditation (ie, elements of yoga, asanas are not applied). The results were significant, given the brevity of the study, 42% of the group yoga noted a significant decrease in fatigue, 30% - reduction in daytime sleepiness, one in five said that the improved quality night's sleep.

Yoga: Additional treatment options

This study again confirmed that the practice of yoga can be used as an additional opportunity to make life easier for people suffering from serious illnesses. In the case of yoga helps to improve the general condition and restore some functions of the body by strengthening the work of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Note. Recall that our nervous system has a very complicated structure. Probably from a school biology course everyone remembers that the nervous system is divided into central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (departing from the brain and spinal cord nerves). And that's what the somatic and autonomic nervous system? Somatic NA "manages" the sense organs and skeletal muscles; the system is controlled by our consciousness. Vegetative NA controls internal organs, muscles, cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, etc. In turn, NA is divided into vegetative sympathetic (responsible for active bodies) and parasympathetic (responsible for relaxation, recovery of energy resources of a system of an organism) . Practice Yoga activates the parasympathetic NA, that is, promotes the restoration of the body.

Example: while sympathetic NA prepares the body for activism - improves blood pressure, blood glucose, tissue metabolism, etc., parasympathetic NA contributes to the manifestation of the opposite effect, that allows smoothing the negative effects - lower blood pressure, eliminating the nausea, fatigue and tiredness.

Perhaps, given the study may surprise many. Meanwhile, the side effects of chemotherapy - a very serious problem of world medicine, that in each country chooses its own way, but in most cases, a set of techniques - medication, physiotherapy and so on. I would like to note that yoga is used in treatment, and not as the only method, yoga - not a panacea, and even less able to cope with cancer alone. But a reasonable approach, and, of course, with the participation of doctors, it can become a good helper, even in severe cases.