Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 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

Young heart can heal itself faster

Young heart can heal itself faster
Washington- The heart holds its own pool of immune cells capable of helping it to heal after injury, finds research, adding that the harmful...

Young heart can heal itself faster

How genes affect Ebola patients

How genes affect Ebola patients
New York- The Ebola virus affects different people differently, say researchers, adding that genetic factors could be behind this mild-to-deadly....

How genes affect Ebola patients

Healthy diet for infants prevents obesity later

Healthy diet for infants prevents obesity later
If you do not want your baby to grow up into an overweight adult, make sure you feed him or her healthy diet from the very first year, a study suggests....

Healthy diet for infants prevents obesity later

Himalayan Viagra fuels gold rush for local Tibetans

Himalayan Viagra fuels gold rush for local Tibetans
Overwhelmed by people trying to find the prized medicinal fungus known as Himalayan Viagra, two isolated Tibetan communities have managed...

Himalayan Viagra fuels gold rush for local Tibetans

Canada's Health Spending Increase in 2014 Smallest in 17 Years; Up Only $61 Per Person

Canada's Health Spending Increase in 2014 Smallest in 17 Years; Up Only $61 Per Person
TORONTO — The cost of health care in Canada will go up this year, but the increase is expected to be the smallest in the past 17 years, a new report suggests.

Canada's Health Spending Increase in 2014 Smallest in 17 Years; Up Only $61 Per Person

Two Rather Than 3 Hpv Vaccine Dosages Will Suffice For Girls Under 15

Two Rather Than 3 Hpv Vaccine Dosages Will Suffice For Girls Under 15
 New research by a team in British Columbia shows girls under 15 years would only need two rather than three doses of HPV vaccine to protect themselves from certain forms of cancer.

Two Rather Than 3 Hpv Vaccine Dosages Will Suffice For Girls Under 15