Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Yoga May Reduce Side Effects Of Prostate Cancer Treatment

Darpan News Desk IANS, 17 Nov, 2015 12:34 PM
  • Yoga May Reduce Side Effects Of Prostate Cancer Treatment
Practicing yoga can improve quality of life of men with prostate cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy, says a new study led by an Indian-origin researcher.
 
The researchers found that general quality of life and measurements of side effects often experienced by prostate cancer patients - including fatigue, sexual health and urinary incontinence - were stable throughout a course of outpatient radiation therapy among the men participating in an intensive yoga programme.
 
"Data have consistently shown declines in these important measures among prostate cancer patients undergoing cancer therapy without any structured fitness interventions, so the stable scores seen with our yoga programme are really good news," said Neha Vapiwala, associate professor at Abramson Cancer Centre, University of Pennsylvania in the US.
 
The possible explanation for the benefits of yoga seen in the study stems from physiologic data demonstrating its ability to help reduce cancer-related fatigue and to strengthen pelvic floor muscles and increase blood flow. 
 
These latter aspects may in turn improve erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence, Vapiwala said.
 
Between May 2013 and June 2014, the study participants attended twice-weekly yoga classes of 75 minutes each, taught by trained Eischens yoga instructors.
 
"Eischens yoga incorporates ideas from movement theory and kinesiology and is accessible to all body types and experience levels," said Tali Mazar Ben-Josef, certified Eischens yoga instructor and researcher at Abramson Cancer Centre.
 
Most yoga participants reported a sense of well-being at the end of each class, Ben-Josef said.
 
Severity of fatigue scores demonstrated significant variability over the time of treatment. Erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and general quality of life scores demonstrated steady trends.
 
The findings were presented at the Society of Integrative Oncology's 12th International Conference in Boston.

MORE Health ARTICLES

Diabetes, heart disease may share deep roots

Diabetes, heart disease may share deep roots
Type 2 diabetes and cardio-vascular disease often occur together and scientists have now discovered that the two diseases may be related at the level of genes...

Diabetes, heart disease may share deep roots

Ditch Ready-to-eat Meals To Avoid High Calories

Ditch Ready-to-eat Meals To Avoid High Calories
Do you want to help trim yours and your family’s waistlines? One can save over a month’s worth of calories every year by ditching 'ready meals' and instead taking a Do it Yourself (DIY) approach to making common foods.

Ditch Ready-to-eat Meals To Avoid High Calories

Second-hand Smoke Leads To Obesity

Second-hand Smoke Leads To Obesity
Debunking a long-held popular belief that smoking cigarettes helps keep one slim, researchers have now found that even second hand exposure to cigarette smoke can cause weight gain.

Second-hand Smoke Leads To Obesity

Copper could help prevent Ebola spread

Copper could help prevent Ebola spread
Replacing frequently-touched surfaces, such as door handles, taps and light switches, with solid copper or copper alloy equivalents could be an...

Copper could help prevent Ebola spread

Inhaled Ebola vaccine could offer long-term protection

Inhaled Ebola vaccine could offer long-term protection
A single dose of a breathable, respiratory vaccine could provide long-term protection against the deadly Ebola virus, new research shows....

Inhaled Ebola vaccine could offer long-term protection

Sugar-rich fat maintains supply of brain stem cells

Sugar-rich fat maintains supply of brain stem cells
Fat and sugar are considered to be the culprits when it comes to obesity and related health complications but if researchers are to be believed...

Sugar-rich fat maintains supply of brain stem cells