Yoga Improves Sleep In People Being Treated For Cancer

People receiving chemotherapy are often plagued by insomnia at night and excessive drowsiness during the day. But a new study in the journal Cancer suggests that yoga can help. Breast cancer patients in the study who practiced at home at least twice a week reported better sleep quality over time, compared to those who practiced less often or not at all. The new research is “another piece of evidence, along with now dozens of studies, showing that incorporating a mind-body practice within conventional cancer care can help decrease side effects for patients,” says lead author Lorenzo Cohen, director of the integrative medicine program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Other studies have also suggested that yoga reduces sleep disturbances and fatigue in cancer patients, Cohen says, but most have not included control groups or long-term follow-up periods. This new study did both. In the study, 227 women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer were split into three groups. One group attended four Tibetan yoga sessions, which focused on controlled breathing, visualization, meditation and postures that could all be done from a seated position, over 12 weeks. “We did this so that anyone could benefit, even if they had challenges doing a more rigorous style,” says Cohen. Another group attended a program that involved simple stretching, and the last group did neither and received only conventional care. The yoga and stretching sessions al...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Alternative Medicine Breast Cancer breast cancer treatment breathing exercises chemotherapy Exercise/Fitness fatigue insomnia Meditation sleep tibetan yoga TIME Health Breast Cancer Source Type: news