Benefits Reported for Breast Cancer Patients Who Regularly Practice Yoga
Posted: Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Women with stage IIII breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and regularly practice Tibetan yoga may reap both short- and long-term health benefits in terms of sleep quality, according to a study conducted by Alejandro Chaoul, PhD, and colleagues at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study findings were published in Cancer.
In the study, 227 women were randomized into 1 of 3 groups: 74 women in a Tibetan yoga program, 68 women in a stretching program, and 85 women receiving usual care. Although there were no observed group differences in regard to sleep disturbances or fatigue levels over time, the group that practiced yoga reported fewer daily disturbances 1 week into treatment, compared with those in the stretching program. Patients who practiced yoga at least twice a week reported better long-term sleep quality as determined by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at 3 months and 6 months after treatment, when compared with those who did not.
