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New study suggests yoga might be beneficial for cancer patients

Scientists say as little as four weeks of practising yoga can improve wellbeing and reduce tiredness.
Scientists say as little as four weeks of practising yoga can improve wellbeing and reduce tiredness. Scientists say as little as four weeks of practising yoga can improve wellbeing and reduce tiredness.

Cancer patients sleep better and suffer less pain and fatigue if they practise yoga, new research suggests.

Two studies presented at the world’s largest cancer conference in Chicago found that as little as four weeks of practising yoga, including gentle hatha yoga, can improve wellbeing and reduce tiredness.

The first study on 321 cancer patients examined the impact of yoga on cancer-related fatigue and sleep.

Patients in the study, 77% of whom had breast cancer, were split into two groups, with one receiving usual care and the other following a four-week yoga programme involving gentle hatha poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness.

Woman doing yoga.
Woman doing yoga.
Volunteers took part in hatha yoga exercises (Fizkes/Getty Images)

Women were invited to take part for 75 minutes twice a week for four weeks.

The results showed that yoga significantly improved both fatigue and sleep quality, with around a fifth of the effect on fatigue due to better sleep.

Po-Ju Lin, from the University of Rochester Medical Centre in New York – who worked on the study, said: “One of the most striking results was that the yoga group felt less fatigued but actually spent less time asleep.

“This is an interesting finding because some people think they feel cancer fatigue so they just need to rest, but actually cancer-related fatigue is not like other fatigue that you can sleep off or rest away.

 (DigitalVision/Getty Images)
(DigitalVision/Getty Images)
Researchers say the trial results showed significant improvements in mood and sleep (DigitalVision/Getty Images)

“Our data suggests that those who practise yoga sleep less. By adding yoga practice into their daily lives it helped them to remain more active and sleep less.”

She said doctors should prescribe yoga as a “low-risk, low-cost treatment” to all cancer patients with cancer-related fatigue.

The second study on 850 women with early-stage breast cancer saw half the group encouraged to do yoga while the other half were given usual care.

Yoga.
Yoga.
According to the researchers, volunteers taking part in yoga also saw fewer side effects from cancer treatment (Brainsil/Getty Images)

After 18 to 22 months, women in the yoga group were experiencing fewer side-effects of treatment (44% versus 56%), experienced lower fatigue and said they were suffering less detriment to their general activity (41% versus 59%). They also had lower levels of pain.

Jean Slocombe, Cancer Research UK’s senior information nurse, said: “Fatigue is a problem for many cancer survivors and it can be difficult to know how best to help because it affects people differently and there are few really effective things people can do.

“Research like this is important and may help health professionals assist survivors and improve their quality of life.”