Yoga’s focus on the connection between mind and body may not be the cure for cancer but it certainly offers a powerful practice toward healing. The American Cancer Society says that yoga “can result in improved physical fitness, lower levels of stress, and increased feelings of relaxation and well-being.” Gentle or restorative poses promote quiet and calm as you stimulate circulation, rid your body of toxins and revitalize your system. Consult with your physician before you begin a yoga practice.

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Combating the Side Effects of Treatment
Researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas found that breast cancer patients undergoing radiation treatments were better able to combat feelings of fatigue during a six-week trial of twice-weekly yoga classes in addition to their medical care. The women also had fewer problems with daytime sleepiness.
In the April 2009 journal Psycho-oncology, researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that restorative, gentle yoga improved fatigue symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Anxiety Relief
When cancer is diagnosed, the news itself can raise anxiety levels tremendously. A small study of cancer patients in Japan published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine found yoga may be effective against anxiety. “Many disorders have a strong stress component, and yoga acts on that,” state the study authors. It also “increases resilience and stress-coping capabilities” if practiced long enough.

Read more on http://www.herbalcureindia.com/yoga-journal/yoga-for-cancer.html

One of the most important dimensions of yoga practice for cancer patients is breathing, or pranayama. In Sanskrit, prana means breath and yama means extension or control. Many people going through the stress of an illness do not breathe efficiently. Fear can cause the holding of the breath or shallow breathing. Slow, deep breathing can bring oxygen into the body and reduce anxiety.

Reduction of Stress and Cortisol Levels
Chronic stress, such as the daily worry and pressure that a cancer patient typically experiences, can raise stress levels and biochemical markers such as cortisol and cytokine production. Stress reduction exercises, like yoga, can reduce stress and therefore reduce cortisol. Stress has also been shown to exacerbate the growth of tumors and other cancer indicators.
Indian researchers found that yoga decreased salivary cortisol levels in patients with stage 2 and 3 breast cancer. Their research was published in the March 2009 journal Integrative Cancer Therapies.

Immune System Response
The American Cancer Society notes that experimental studies have shown evidence of yoga’s beneficial effects on the immune system. The studies have demonstrated that stress contributes to the development and progress of immune-based diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Even as early as 1962, an article in the journal Cancer Research reported the beneficial effects of stress reduction on laboratory animals injected with cancer.

Improves Coping Mechanism
Some physicians see the benefit of yoga as a key to coping with cancer illness. Sarita Dubey, MD, an oncologist at the University of California San Francisco and American Society of Clinical Oncology official, said she believes yoga “does support patients mentally and physically while they endure the challenges from their cancer and cancer treatments.”

Cancer patients often find themselves in a distracted state of mind as they are bombarded by frightening information. When the mind is disturbed, it may be unable to make crucial decisions. The 2009 Breast Journal found that incorporating a coping strategy into the treatment regimen of patients with breast cancer, which could include yoga, is an important component in palliative care.

Decreases Insomnia
A small clinical trial published in the journal Cancer found that people with lymphoma reported fewer sleep disturbances, fell asleep more quickly, and slept longer after a seven-week yoga program, compared to patients who did not participate in yoga.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/yoga-poses-for-cancer-treatment-4834547.html

Author: drcharlesbuchar
Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/yoga-poses-for-cancer-treatment-4834547.html

Tags: bikram yoga cancer, yoga astrology, yoga for arthritis, yoga horoscope, yoga lung cancer, yoga poses cancer

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