Yoga

Improve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms with Mindfulness

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Improve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“mindfulness can be conceptualized as a facilitator of transition, enabling people to adapt to living with a long-term condition, and that this transition is associated with improved, self-directed management, important to both people with long-term conditions and healthcare providers.” – Daniela Semedo

 

MS is a progressive demyelinating disease which attacks the coating on the neural axons which send messages throughout the body and nervous system. It affects about 2 million people worldwide and about 400,000 in the U.S. It is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50 years.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis. There are a number of approved medications that are used to treat MS but are designed to lessen frequency of relapses and slow the progression of the disease, but they don’t address individual symptoms.

 

Although there is a progressive deterioration, MS is not fatal with MS patients having about the same life expectancy as the general population. Hence, most MS sufferers have to live with the disease for many years. So, quality of life becomes a major issue. Quality of life with MS is affected by fatigue, cognitive decrements, physical impairment, depression, and poor sleep quality. There is a thus a critical need for safe and effective methods to help relieve the symptoms of MS and improve quality of life. Since mindfulness has been previously shown to improve depression, sleep quality, cognitive impairments, emotion regulation, and fatigue, it would seem likely that mindfulness practice might be effective in improving the quality of life and lessening fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis.

 

In today’s Research News article “The effect of group mindfulness-based stress reduction and consciousness yoga program on quality of life and fatigue severity in patients with MS.” See  summary below or view the full text of the study at http://journals.tbzmed.ac.ir/JCS/Manuscript/JCS-5-325.pdf

Nejati and colleagues recruited patients with multiple sclerosis, aged 20-45 years, who did not practice meditation or yoga, and randomly assigned them to receive either an 8-week program of meditation and yoga practice or treatment as usual (control). Training in meditation and yoga occurred in 8 weekly 2-hour sessions with home practice. Both groups were measured before and after treatment for multiple sclerosis quality of life, psychiatric diseases, and fatigue.

 

They found that the meditation and yoga practice produced significant improvements in the multiple sclerosis quality of life subscales including physical health, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, energy, emotional well-being, health distress, health perception, and satisfaction with sexual function, overall quality of life, and fatigue severity. There was no improvement found in overall health.

 

It should be noted that this was a quasi-experimental design as the control group did not receive any active additional treatment. Hence, various confounding factors such as placebo effects, attentional effects, etc. could have been responsible for the results. In addition, since the intervention contained both meditation and yoga practice, it cannot be determined which one or both were responsible for the improvements.

 

Nevertheless, the results are encouraging and suggest the mindfulness training might be effective in relieving fatigue and improving the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Since these patients will likely be spending the rest of their lives coping with the disease, making it easier for them to function and improving the quality of their lives is vitally important to their ling-term well-being.

 

So, improve multiple sclerosis symptoms with mindfulness.

 

“Living with the pain, discomfort, and the uncertainties of MS can lead to feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety, and depression. These feelings can lead to physiological changes such as increased fatigue and muscle pain, impaired memory and concentration, and poor sleep. “By becoming mindful and aware of our thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, we can better control situations, and we have more choices. Mindful awareness helps us to become fully conscious of the world as it is, rather than how we wish it could be.” – Regina Boyle Wheeler

 

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Nejati S, Rajezi Esfahani S, Rahmani S, Afrookhteh G, Hoveida Sh. The effect of group mindfulness-based stress reduction and consciousness yoga program on quality of life and fatigue severity in patients with MS. J Caring Sci 2016; 5 (4): 325-35. doi:10.15171/jcs.2016.034.

 

Abstract

Introduction: The chronic nature of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), have can leave devastating effects on quality of life and fatigue. The present research aimed to study the effect of group Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and conscious yoga program on the quality of life and fatigue severity among patients with MS. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental with intervention and control groups. The statistical population included all members to MS Society of Tehran Province, 24 of whom diagnosed with MS were selected as the sample based on the inclusion criteria. The subjects were randomly assigned into the test group (12 patients) and the control group (12 patients). MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) were used for data collection. Subjects in the test group underwent a MBSR and conscious yoga program in 8 two-hour sessions. The data were analyzed using the SPSS ver.13 software. Results: The study findings showed that there was a significant difference between subjects in the experimental and control groups in terms of mean score of some subscales of quality of life including physical health, role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, energy, emotional well-being, health distress, health perception, and satisfaction with sexual function, overall quality of life, and fatigue severity. Conclusion: The results show that the program is effective in reduction of fatigue severity and improving some subscales of quality of life in MS patients. Hence, this supportive method can be used as an effective way for improving quality of life and relieving fatigue in MS patients.

http://journals.tbzmed.ac.ir/JCS/Manuscript/JCS-5-325.pdf

 

Relieve Back Pain with Yoga

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Relieve Back Pain with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“This systematic review found strong evidence for short-term effectiveness and moderate evidence for long-term effectiveness of yoga for chronic low back pain in the most important patient-centered outcomes. Yoga can be recommended as an additional therapy to chronic low back pain patients.” – Holger Cramer

 

Low Back Pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects between 6% to 15% of the population. It is estimated, however, that 80% of the population will experience back pain sometime during their lives. There are varied treatments for low back pain including chiropractic care, acupuncture, biofeedback, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, surgery, opiate pain killing drugs, steroid injections, and muscle relaxant drugs. These therapies are sometimes effective particularly for acute back pain. But, for chronic conditions the treatments are less effective and often require continuing treatment for years and opiate pain killers are dangerous and can lead to abuse, addiction, and fatal overdoses. Obviously, there is a need for safe and effective treatments for low back pain that are low cost and don’t have troublesome side effects.

 

Pain involves both physical and psychological issues. The stress, fear, and anxiety produced by pain tends to elicit responses that actually amplify the pain. So, reducing the emotional reactions to pain may be helpful in pain management. Mindfulness practices have been shown to improve emotion regulation producing more adaptive and less maladaptive responses to emotions. Indeed, mindfulness practices are effective in treating pain and have been shown to be safe and effective in the management of low back pain. Yoga practice has been shown to have a myriad of health benefits. These include relief of chronic pain. Yoga practice has also been shown to be effective for the relief of chronic low-back pain.  Many forms of yoga focus on the proper alignment of the spine, which could directly address the source of back and neck pain for many individuals. So, it makes sense to further explore the effectiveness of yoga therapy for chronic low back pain and the structure of the spine.

 

In today’s Research News article “A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess Pain and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based (MRI-Based) Structural Spine Changes in Low Back Pain Patients After Yoga Practice.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1481032081920713/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031167/

Telles and colleagues recruited patients with degenerative intervertebral discs and randomly assigned them to either yoga or treatment as usual waitlist control groups. The yoga group engaged in light exercises and specific physical yoga postures, breathing exercises, and chanting and yoga relaxation techniques, for one hour per day for 3 months. Before and after treatment the participants were measured for pain, anxiety, and spine flexibility. To look at potential structural alteration, the participants’ spines were measured employing Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

 

They found that yoga practice produced a significant reduction in both pain levels and anxiety. There were no significant changes found in spine flexibility or the structure of the spine including nerve compression, endplate changes, and facet joint change. Hence yoga practice was shown to be effective in reducing subjective pain and the anxiety produced by it. This is in line with previous research but it was disappointing not to see changes in spine flexibility or structure. It appears that yoga practice is safe and moderately effective in treating patients with degenerative intervertebral discs.

 

So, relieve back pain with yoga.

 

“Yoga focuses a great deal of attention to developing both balance and flexibility. Improper spinal alignment can cause back pain and decrease range of motion in the spine. Yoga postures focus on elongating the spine and rediscovering the spine’s range of motion. Practicing a few yoga stretches after work can help straighten and strengthen your spine.” – Nicole Carlin

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

Telles, S., Bhardwaj, A. K., Gupta, R. K., Sharma, S. K., Monro, R., & Balkrishna, A. (2016). A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess Pain and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based (MRI-Based) Structural Spine Changes in Low Back Pain Patients After Yoga Practice. Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 22, 3238–3247. http://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.896599

 

Abstract

Background:

The present study aimed at determining whether 12 weeks of yoga practice in patients with chronic LBP and MRI-based degenerative changes would result in differences in: (i) self-reported pain, anxiety, and spinal flexibility; and (ii) the structure of the discs or vertebrae.

Material/Methods:

Sixty-two persons with MRI-proven degenerative intervertebral discs (group mean ±S.D., 36.2±6.4 years; 30 females) were randomly assigned to yoga and control groups. However, testing was conducted on only 40 subjects, so only their data are included in this study. The assessments were: self-reported pain, state anxiety, spinal flexibility, and MRI of the lumbosacral spine, performed using a 1.5 Tesla system with a spinal surface column. The yoga group was taught light exercises, physical postures, breathing techniques, and yoga relaxation techniques for 1 hour daily for 3 months. No intervention was given to the control group except for routine medical care. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc analyses (which was Bonferroni-adjusted) was used. The Ethics Committee of Patanjali Research Foundation had approved the study which had been registered in the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2012/11/003094).

Results:

The yoga group showed a significant reduction in self-reported pain and state anxiety in a before/after comparison at 12 weeks. A few patients in both groups showed changes in the discs and vertebrae at post-intervention assessment.

Conclusions:

Within 12 weeks, yoga practice reduced pain and state anxiety but did not alter MRI-proven changes in the intervertebral discs and in the vertebrae.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031167/

 

Improve Knee Osteoarthritis with Yoga

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Improve Knee Osteoarthritis with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Hatha yoga is an important non-medicinal method in rehabilitation of patients with knee osteoarthritis and will result in a significant decrease in pain and symptoms and a significant increase in daily activities, sports and spare-time activities, and quality of life.” – Gholam Ghasemi,

 

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative joint disease that is the most common form of arthritis. It produces pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints. It is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., with about 43% of arthritis sufferers limited in mobility and about a third having limitations that affect their ability to perform their work. In the U.S., osteoarthritis affects 14% of adults over 25 years of age and 34% of those over 65.

 

Knee osteoarthritis effects 5% of adults over 25 years of age and 12% of those over 65. It involves the whole joint, including articular cartilage, meniscus, ligament, and peri-articular muscle. It is painful and disabling. Its causes are varied including, hereditary, injury including sports injuries, repetitive stress injuries, infection, or from being overweight.  There are no cures for knee osteoarthritis. Treatments are primarily symptomatic, including weight loss, exercise, braces, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, arthroscopic knee surgery, or even knee replacement.

 

Mind-body practices in general have been shown to reduce the gene expressions that underlie the inflammatory response which contribute to arthritis. It is also known that gentle movements of the joints with exercise appears to be helpful in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. This suggests that yoga practice, which involves both mindfulness and exercise of the joints may be useful for treatment. Indeed, yoga practice has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for a wide variety of physical and psychological conditions, including arthritis. So, it would seem reasonable to look further into the effectiveness of yoga practice in treating knee osteoarthritis.

 

In today’s Research News article “The Effects of Yoga on Pain, Mobility, and Quality of Life in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1471491792874742/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061981/

Kan and colleagues review the published research studies on the effectiveness of yoga practice for knee osteoarthritis. They found 9 published articles, with subjects between 51-70 years of age. Yoga practice was for 60-90 minutes per session and 3-4 sessions per week for from 8-20 weeks. Most of the studies included a control condition, most frequently comparing physical therapy plus yoga practice to physical therapy alone. They found that the literature uniformly reported that the yoga practice was safe, with no adverse effects and that it produced clinically significant decreases in knee osteoarthritis pain. Although the findings were mixed, overall there appeared to be improvement produced by yoga practice in movement and mobility, and the patients’ quality of life.

 

The published research strongly suggests that the practice of yoga is a safe and effective way to improve pain, mobility, and quality of life in people suffering with knee osteoarthritis. Yoga contains both exercise and mindfulness practice. The published studies did not separate these components. So, it cannot be determined if either alone or in combination are essential for effectiveness. But, it is clear that knee osteoarthritis patients can practice yoga and that it is a safe and effective practice to help relieve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

 

So, improve knee osteoarthritis with yoga.

 

“Yoga is definitely one option for people with arthritis. Not only for the exercise benefits, but it’s also beneficial in the mind/body area, promoting relaxation and stress reduction,” – Sharon Kolasinksi

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts and on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

 

Study Summary

Kan, L., Zhang, J., Yang, Y., & Wang, P. (2016). The Effects of Yoga on Pain, Mobility, and Quality of Life in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2016, 6016532. http://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6016532

 

Abstract

Objective. To systematically assess the effects of yoga on pain, mobility, and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Methods. Pubmed, Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and other sources were searched systematically in this study. Two reviewers identified eligible studies and extracted data independently. Downs and Black’s Quality Index were used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included studies. Results. A total of 9 articles (6 studies) involving 372 patients with knee osteoarthritis met the inclusion criteria. The most common yoga protocol is 40~90 minutes/session, lasting for at least 8 weeks. The effect of yoga on pain relief and function improvement could be seen after two-week intervention. Conclusion. This systematic review showed that yoga might have positive effects in relieving pain and mobility on patients with KOA, but the effects on quality of life (QOL) are unclear. Besides, more outcome measure related to mental health of yoga effects on people with KOA should be conducted.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061981/

 

Improve Obesity with Yoga

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Improve Obesity with Yoga

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Yoga has an important role to play in the treatment of Obesity. Yoga techniques affect body, internal organs, endocrine glands, brain, mind and other factors concerning Body – Mind complex. Various Yoga techniques can be practiced effectively to reduce the weight and achieve normal healthy condition of Body and Mind.” – Prafulla Dorle

 

Obesity has become an epidemic in the industrialized world. In the U.S. the incidence of obesity, defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above has more than doubled over the last 35 years to currently around 35% of the population, while two thirds of the population is considered overweight or obese (BMI > 25). Although the incidence rates have appeared to stabilize, the fact that over a third of the population is considered obese is very troubling. This is because of the health consequences of obesity. Obesity has been found to shorten life expectancy by eight years and extreme obesity by 14 years. This occurs because obesity is associated with cardiovascular problems such as coronary heart disease and hypertension, stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and others.

 

Obviously, there is a need for effective treatments to prevent or treat obesity. But, despite copious research and a myriad of dietary and exercise programs, there still is no safe and effective treatment. Mindfulness is known to be associated with lower risk for obesity, alter eating behavior and improve health in obesity. This suggests that mindfulness training may be an effective treatment for overeating and obesity alone or in combination with other therapies. Yoga practice has been shown to have a myriad of physical and psychological benefits. These include significant loss in weight and body mass index (BMI), resting metabolism, and body fat in obese women with Type 2 diabetes and improve health in the obese. Hence it would seem reasonable to investigate the benefits of yoga therapy on the weight and body composition of the obese.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy on Male Obesity and Psychological Parameters-A Randomised Controlled Trial.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1461037563920165/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5121695/

Rshikesan & Subramanya recruited overweight and obese males with Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) between 23 to 35 and randomly assigned them to either a treatment as usual control group or a yoga therapy group. The yoga therapy was administered 90 minutes per day, five days per week for 14 weeks and consisted of postures, breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation. The participants were measured both before and after the treatment for height, weight, circumferences of the upper arm, waist, and hips, skin fold thicknesses, weight related acceptance and action, and perceived stress.

 

They found that in comparison to before treatment, the yoga therapy group had modest but significant reductions in weight, BMI, front skinfold thickness, arm and hip circumferences, perceived stress, and weight related acceptance and action while the control group did not. But, the differences between yoga and control groups were only significantly different for arm circumference and skinfold thickness. The yoga group consistently had better results on the average than the control group. This suggests that the study did not have large enough groups to statistically detect modest differences between groups. In addition, there was not an alternate exercise control condition, e.g. walking exercise. So, it cannot be concluded that yoga specifically and not any form of light exercise produced the benefits.

 

The results are encouraging but not spectacular and suggest that yoga therapy can produce modest improvements in overweight and obese males. Yoga, being a light exercise, can contribute to energy expenditure and improve body composition, shifting weight from fat to muscle mass. Yoga also has a wide variety of other physical and psychological benefits. So, the present study may underestimate the value of yoga practice for overweight and obese individuals.

 

So, improve obesity with yoga.

 

“Yoga is an excellent exercise and spiritual discipline for people of any size. For some fat students, simply being made aware of body mechanics differences and being made welcome in a class are enough to bolster their confidence and allow them to progress.” – Kay Erdwinn

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Rshikesan, P. B., & Subramanya, P. (2016). Effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy on Male Obesity and Psychological Parameters-A Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research : JCDR, 10(10), KC01–KC06. http://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/21494.8727

 

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is a growing global epidemic and cause of non-communicable diseases. Yoga is one of the effective ways to reduce stress which is one of the causes of obesity.

Aim: To assess the effect of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) yoga module on adult male obesity in an urban setting.

Materials and Methods: RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial) was conducted for 14 weeks on obese male subjects with yoga and control groups. Total number of subjects were 72 and they were randomized into two groups (Yoga n=37, Control n=35). The subjects were from an urban setting of Mumbai and were doing yoga for the first time. Special yoga training of IAYT was given to yoga group for one and half hour for 5 days in a week for 14 weeks. The control group continued regular physical activities and no specific physical activity was given. The assessments were anthropometric parameters of weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), MAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumferences) of Left and Right Arm, Waist Circumference (WC), HC (Hip Circumference), WHR (Waist Hip Ratio), SKF(Skin Fold Thickness of Biceps, Triceps, Sub scapular, suprailiac and cumulative), Percentage body fat based on SKF and Psychological Questionnaires of Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and AAQW (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Weight Related Difficulty). These were taken before and after intervention for both yoga and control groups. Within and between group analysis & correlation of differences from post to pre readings among the variables, were carried out using SPSS 21.

Results: The anthropometric and psychological parameters were improved in both the groups but changes were significant in yoga group.

Conclusion: Incorporating the IAYT for obese male in urban setting will be effective for obesity treatment and for reducing the obesity related problems.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5121695/

 

Reduce Anxiety and Depression in Hospice with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“What yoga has to offer people who are dying is acceptance, not just of death, but also of all the difficult feelings that come with it.” – Molly Kenny

 

Depression is very common in the elderly. The elderly cope with increasing loss of friends and family, deteriorating health, as well as concerns regarding finances on fixed incomes. All of these are legitimate sources of worry. But, no matter how reasonable, the increased worry and anxiety add extra stress that can impact on the elderly’s already deteriorating physical and psychological health. For those nearing the endo of life, emotions become amplified. The knowledge that death is imminent—and the awareness that it is unavoidable—understandably brings intense anxiety and fear. For the elderly in hospice care these issues become amplified. So, clearly ameliorating the depression and anxiety could be highly beneficial to the well-being of the elderly in general and especially those in hospice care.

 

Yoga practice has been shown to have a myriad of psychological and physical health benefits. These include relief of anxiety and depression and yoga has been shown to be safe and effective when applied to the elderly. So, it would seem reasonable to assess the effectiveness of yoga practice for the anxiety and depression present in the elderly in hospice care. In today’s Research News article “Effect of a 12-week yoga therapy program on mental health status in elderly women inmates of a hospice.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1442506282439960/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2017;volume=10;issue=1;spage=24;epage=28;aulast=Ramanathan

Ramanathan and colleagues recruited elderly women in hospice care and randomly assigned them to either a wait-list control group or a yoga practice group. The yoga practice was especially designed for the frail elderly and was carried out in the hospice in a group for 60 min, twice weekly for a period of 12 weeks. The practice included a simple warm-up, breath-body movement coordination practices, static stretching postures, breathing techniques, and relaxation. Before and after the 12-week practice the patients completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem.

 

They found that the yoga practice produced a significant improvement in the women’s well-being. In particular there was a significant decrease in psychological and somatic anxiety and depression and an increase in self-esteem in the yoga group in comparison to the control group. These are exciting results and indicate that yoga practice is a safe and effective treatment for the anxiety, depression, and self-esteem of women in hospice. This suggests that yoga practice reduces the psychological suffering near the end of life. The increases in self-esteem were particularly large and striking, suggesting that engaging in yoga markedly improved how the women felt about themselves.

 

It should be mentioned that there was not an active control group. So, there is no way of determining if any light exercise could produce similar improvements or if the benefits accrue solely to those engaged in yoga practice. Yoga practice has been shown to decrease aging and improve longevity in older people. An interesting question for future research is to determine if yoga practice might improve longevity in women in hospice. Regardless, reduce anxiety and depression in hospice with yoga.

 

“Yoga is about bringing peace of mind and acceptance through breath and movement. Hospice is about comfort and support at the end of life.  Even when a patient cannot stand or get out of bed, small movements and special breathing techniques can lead to deeper relaxation.” – Sara Culan

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Ramanathan M, Bhavanani AB, Trakroo M. Effect of a 12-week yoga therapy program on mental health status in elderly women inmates of a hospice. Int J Yoga [serial online] 2017 [cited 2016 Nov 23];10:24-8. Available from: http://www.ijoy.org.in/text.asp?2017/10/1/24/186156

 

Aim and Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of yoga on the mental health status of elderly women inmates residing in a hospice in Puducherry.
Materials and Methods: Forty elderly women were randomly divided into yoga and wait-listed control group. A yoga therapy program of 60 min was given twice a week for 12 weeks. This protocol was specially designed for senior citizens, keeping in mind their health status and physical limitations that included simple warm-up and breath-body movement coordination practices (jathis and kriyas), static stretching postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayamas), and relaxation. Hamilton anxiety scale for measuring anxiety, Hamilton rating scale for depression, and Rosenberg self-esteem scale to measure self-esteem were administered to both groups before and after the 12-week study period. Data were assessed for normality, and appropriate parametric and nonparametric statistical methods were applied for intra- and inter-group comparisons.
Results: Overall, intra- and inter-group comparison of prepost data showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) differences for all three parameters. There was an overall improvement in the scores indicating decreased levels of depression and anxiety coupled with an increase in the level of self-esteem after the yoga therapy program.
Discussion: The influence of yoga in the reduction of depression and anxiety scores and improvement in self-esteem scores in elderly women subjects is evident from this study. As reported in earlier studies, this may be attributed to changes in central neurotransmitters such as gamma-aminobutyric-acid coupled with increased parasympathetic tone and decreased sympatho-adrenal activity.
Conclusion: It is recommended that yoga should be a part of health-care facilities for elderly as it can enhance the quality of life by improving their overall mental health status. It could provide a healthy and positive alternative from depressing negative thoughts, and give them a sense of purpose and hope.

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2017;volume=10;issue=1;spage=24;epage=28;aulast=Ramanathan

Reduce Pelvic Pain in Women with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“women need to start a relationship with their pelvis, looking at the outside of it, touching the inside of it, talking and listening to it, and loving it. If you are having problems with your pelvic floor, it’s telling you, “Hey, I am here and you’ve been ignoring me and something has to change.” – Leslie Howard

 

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is focused in the area below the naval and between the hips and lasts six months or longer. CPP can have multiple causes; a symptom of another disease, or it can be a condition in its own right. Millions of men and women suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction every year. In fact, over 4 million American women under the age of 40 are diagnosed with pelvic pain or incontinence. Despite this staggering figure, people often feel alone, ashamed, and frustrated with the process of being properly diagnosed and treated. There are two strategies to treating chronic pelvic pain (CPP), either treating the symptoms or the underlying cause. Typically, it is treated with drugs and/or hormones, including pain relievers, antibiotics, antidepressants, and birth control pills, with physical or psychological therapy, or even with surgery.

 

Yoga practice has been shown to have a myriad of health benefits. These include relief of chronic pain. So, it makes sense to explore the effectiveness of yoga therapy for CPP in combination with treatment as usual. In today’s Research News article “Effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females with chronic pelvic pain.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1438108362879752/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2017;volume=10;issue=1;spage=9;epage=15;aulast=Saxena

Saxena and colleagues recruited patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and randomly assigned them to receive either treatment as usual or treatment as usual in combination with yoga therapy. The women were measured for pain levels and quality of life both before and after the 8-weeks of treatment. Yoga therapy occurred 5 times per week for 8 weeks and included deep breathing, chanting, postures, regulated breathing and relaxation, etc.

 

They found that the two groups had equivalent levels of pain before treatment, but after treatment the pain levels of the yoga therapy group were reduced virtually in half while the treatment as usual group was unchanged. In addition, yoga therapy produced significant improvements in the quality of life by about a third for the patients, with increases in the physical, psychological, and social domains of quality of life, and a significant but smaller increase in the environmental domain.

 

These are excellent results that indicate that yoga therapy can produce clinically significant improvements in pain levels and quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Since yoga practice is known to strengthen the abdominal muscles, this may be the reason for the improvements. In addition, the contemplative components of yoga therapy are known to improve the individual’s ability to cope with chronic pain and this may also be responsible for the improvements. Regardless, it is clear that yoga therapy is a safe and effective treatment that complements treatment as usual and produces clinically significant improvements in CPP.

 

So, reduce pelvic pain in women with yoga.

 

“The physical postures of yoga can help relieve pain in a number of ways. The most obvious is the ability of a well-rounded yoga practice to lower stress levels. Stress makes muscles more likely to go into spasm, and muscle spasms are an underappreciated contributor to both acute and chronic pain. . . The practice of asana, beyond its ability to induce relaxation, can be an effective way to relieve muscle tightness. In contrast to many other forms of exercise, yoga promotes both strength and flexibility in muscles.” – Timothy McCall

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Saxena R, Gupta M, Shankar N, Jain S, Saxena A. Effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females with chronic pelvic pain. Int J Yoga [serial online] 2017 [cited 2016 Nov 23];10:9-15. Available from: http://www.ijoy.org.in/text.asp?2017/10/1/9/186155

 

Abstract

Context: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common condition of women of the reproductive age group. It has a negative impact on a woman’s personal health and quality of life (QOL). Practicing yoga has shown numerous benefits in various chronic painful conditions.
Aim: To study the effects of yogic intervention on pain scores and quality of life in females of reproductive age group with CPP, on conventional therapy.
Settings and Design: It is a follow-up, randomized case-control study done in a tertiary care hospital.
Subjects and Methods: Sixty female patients of CPP in the age group of 18-45 years were randomly divided into Group I (n = 30) and Group II (n = 30). Group I received only conventional therapy in the form of NSAIDS and Group II received yoga therapy in the form of asanas, pranayama, and relaxation along with the conventional therapy for 8 weeks. They were assessed twice (pre- and post-treatment) for pain scores through visual analog scale (VAS) score and QOL by the World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire.
Statistical Analysis Used: Repeated measure ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: After 8 weeks of yogic intervention, Group II patients showed a significant decrease in intensity of pain seen by a decrease in VAS score (P < 0.001) and improvement in the quality of life with a significant increase (P < 0.001) in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF.
Conclusions: The practice of yoga causes a reduction in the pain intensity and improves the quality of life in patients with chronic pelvic pain.

http://www.ijoy.org.in/article.asp?issn=0973-6131;year=2017;volume=10;issue=1;spage=9;epage=15;aulast=Saxena

 

Lessen Cognitive Problems Following Breast Cancer with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

““If you or your relatives are trying to improve your memory or offset the risk for developing memory loss or dementia, a regular practice of yoga and meditation could be a simple, safe and low-cost solution to improving your brain fitness,” – Helen Lavretsky

 

About 12.5% of women in the U.S. develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes and every year about 40,000 women die. Indeed, more women in the U.S. die from breast cancer than from any other cancer, besides lung cancer. Breast cancer diagnosis, however, is not a death sentence. It is encouraging that the death rates have been decreasing for decades from improved detection and treatment of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates are now at around 95%.

 

Unfortunately, even after successful treatment residual physical, psychological, and cognitive problems still persist and most of these residual problems go untreated. So, safe and effective treatments for these residual symptoms in breast cancer survivors are needed. Mindfulness training in general has been shown to help with cancer recovery and help to alleviate many of the residual psychological symptoms and improve cognitive function. The mindfulness practice of Yoga has also been shown to be helpful with the residual symptoms. In today’s Research News article Yoga and Self-Reported Cognitive Problems in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial “.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1434567009900554/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405403/

Derry and colleagues investigate the effectiveness of yoga practice on relieving the residual cognitive symptoms of breast cancer survivors.

 

They recruited women who had completed breast cancer treatment from 2-months to 3 years previously and randomly assigned them to either a wait-list control condition or to receive a 12-week Hatha yoga training. They received training twice a week for 90 minutes. Yoga participants were encouraged to continue yoga practice after training but no further classes or instruction were provided. The participants were measured before and after the 12-week treatment and 3 months later for cognitive symptoms (forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and being easily distracted), depression, anxiety, sleep quality, fatigue, inflammation, and general activity.

 

They found that the yoga treatment produced a significant decrease in anxiety, depression, fatigue and inflammation and improved sleep quality. Importantly, they found that the yoga practice produced a significant reduction in cognitive complaints (forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and being easily distracted), in comparison to the wait-list group, 3 months after completion of training but not immediately after training. This improvement was still present and significant even after taking into consideration the improvements in psychological distress, fatigue, and sleep quality. Hence, Yoga practice improved the physical, psychological, and cognitive residual symptoms in breast cancer survivors.

 

These results are interesting and important. They suggest that yoga practice is a safe and effective treatment for the residual symptoms that remain after successful treatment for breast cancer. Yoga practice has been shown to have a wide array of positive benefits for healthy and unhealthy practitioners. The present study adds to the list of patients who are helped by practicing yoga. It should be noted that yoga is a gentle exercise and there was no comparison to other exercises. So, it cannot be determined if it was the exercise in general or yoga in particular that produces the benefits.

 

So, lessen cognitive problems following breast cancer with yoga.

 

“The breathing and meditative exercises aim at calming the mind and body and keeping distracting thoughts away while you focus on your body, posture or breath. Maybe these processes translate beyond yoga practice when you try to perform mental tasks or day-to-day activities. . . meditation and breathing exercises are known to reduce anxiety and stress, which in turn can improve scores on some cognitive tests,” – Neha Gothe.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Derry, H. M., Jaremka, L. M., Bennett, J. M., Peng, J., Andridge, R., Shapiro, C., … Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. (2015). Yoga and Self-Reported Cognitive Problems in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psycho-Oncology, 24(8), 958–966. http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3707

 

Abstract

Objectives: Cancer survivors often report cognitive problems. Furthermore, decreases in physical activity typically occur over the course of cancer treatment. Although physical activity benefits cognitive function in non-cancer populations, evidence linking physical activity to cognitive function in cancer survivors is limited. In our recent randomized controlled trial, breast cancer survivors who received a yoga intervention had lower fatigue and inflammation following the trial compared to a wait-list control group. This secondary analysis of the parent trial addressed yoga’s impact on cognitive complaints.

Methods: Post-treatment stage 0 – IIIA breast cancer survivors (N = 200) were randomized to a 12-week twice-weekly Hatha yoga intervention or a wait-list control group. Participants reported cognitive complaints using the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) Cognitive Problems scale at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.

Results: Cognitive complaints did not differ significantly between groups immediately post-intervention (p = .250). However, at the 3-month follow-up, yoga participants’ BCPT Cognitive Problems scores were an average of 23% lower than wait-list participants’ scores (p = .003). These group differences in cognitive complaints remained after controlling for psychological distress, fatigue, and sleep quality. Consistent with the primary results, those who practiced yoga more frequently reported significantly fewer cognitive problems at the 3-month follow-up than those who practiced less frequently (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that yoga can effectively reduce breast cancer survivors’ cognitive complaints, and prompt further research on mind-body and physical activity interventions for improving cancer-related cognitive problems.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405403/

 

Improve Cognition in Women with Early Psychosis with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“There are basically two different ways in which yoga can help your memory. One is through asanas or postures, and the second way is through breathing exercises. All of these techniques have elements in common. They tend to drive oxygen and blood towards the brain hence making the mind a more tranquil place. Increased serenity will invigorate our mental functions and activities.” – Mira Saraf

 

Psychoses are mental health problems that cause people to perceive or interpret things differently from those around them. This might involve hallucinations; seeing and, in some cases, feeling, smelling or tasting things that aren’t there, or delusions; unshakable beliefs that, when examined rationally, are obviously untrue. The combination of hallucinations and delusional thinking can often severely disrupt perception, thinking, emotion, and behavior, making it difficult if not impossible to function in society without treatment. Psychoses appear to be highly heritable and involves changes in the brain.

 

The symptoms of psychoses usually do not appear until late adolescence or early adulthood. There are, however, usually early signs of the onset of psychoses which present as cognitive impairments. There are some indications that aerobic exercise can help lessen these early symptoms. Mindfulness training has also been shown to be beneficial with psychosis. So, it would make sense that yoga, which includes both physical exercise and mindfulness training may be effective. This notion was examined in today’s Research News article “Aerobic exercise and yoga improve neurocognitive function in women with early psychosis.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1421127021244553/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4849465/

 

Lin and colleagues recruited a large sample of women diagnosed with early stage psychoses and randomly assigned them to either a wait list control condition or to receive 12-weeks of either integrated yoga therapy training or aerobic exercise (walking and cycling). Training occurred for 60 minutes per day for 3 days per week. They were tested at baseline, at the completion of the 12-weeks of training and 18 months later for verbal acquisition, short-term (working) memory, cognitive interference, positive and negative symptoms of psychoses, physical and psychological health, body perception, drug adherence and fitness. They also underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans.

 

They found that at the conclusion of training there were statistically significant improvements in verbal acquisition, working memory and attention for the yoga group and in verbal retention and working memory for the aerobic exercise group. Both groups had significant improvements in physical and psychological health (lower depression). Aerobic exercise, but not yoga, produced significant increases in the hippocampus gray matter volume in the brain. Importantly, these effects were still present and significant 18 months later, suggesting that the training has long-lasting effects.

 

The results suggest that both yoga and aerobic exercise have lasting beneficial effects for women in the early stages of psychoses, improving physical, psychological, and cognitive performances. There were small differences between the two exercise types, with yoga producing greater improvements in verbal learning and attention than aerobic exercise. These are interesting and exciting findings that suggest that the early physical, psychological, and cognitive symptoms of psychoses in women can be successfully improved with either aerobic exercise or yoga, with perhaps yoga being more effective for the verbal learning and attentional symptoms. This makes sense as yoga involves training in attention.

 

So, improve cognition in women with early psychosis with yoga.

 

“If you or your relatives are trying to improve your memory or offset the risk for developing memory loss or dementia, a regular practice of yoga and meditation could be a simple, safe and low-cost solution to improving your brain fitness.” – Helen Lavretsky
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Lin, J., Chan, S. K., Lee, E. H., Chang, W. C., Tse, M., Su, W. W., … Chen, E. Y. (2015). Aerobic exercise and yoga improve neurocognitive function in women with early psychosis. NPJ Schizophrenia, 1(0), 15047–. http://doi.org/10.1038/npjschz.2015.47

 

Abstract

Impairments of attention and memory are evident in early psychosis, and are associated with functional disability. In a group of stable, medicated women patients, we aimed to determine whether participating in aerobic exercise or yoga improved cognitive impairments and clinical symptoms. A total of 140 female patients were recruited, and 124 received the allocated intervention in a randomized controlled study of 12 weeks of yoga or aerobic exercise compared with a waitlist group. The primary outcomes were cognitive functions including memory and attention. Secondary outcome measures were the severity of psychotic and depressive symptoms, and hippocampal volume. Data from 124 patients were included in the final analysis based on the intention-to-treat principle. Both yoga and aerobic exercise groups demonstrated significant improvements in working memory (P<0.01) with moderate to large effect sizes compared with the waitlist control group. The yoga group showed additional benefits in verbal acquisition (P<0.01) and attention (P=0.01). Both types of exercise improved overall and depressive symptoms (all P⩽0.01) after 12 weeks. Small increases in hippocampal volume were observed in the aerobic exercise group compared with waitlist (P=0.01). Both types of exercise improved working memory in early psychosis patients, with yoga having a larger effect on verbal acquisition and attention than aerobic exercise. The application of yoga and aerobic exercise as adjunctive treatments for early psychosis merits serious consideration.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4849465/

 

Improve Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) with Yoga

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

 “practicing yoga is one of the best things you can do for the health of your lungs. Yoga will strengthen the muscles of your chest, increase your lung capacity and boost oxygen intake.” – Tania Tarafdar

 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) are progressive lung diseases that obstruct airflow. The two main types of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. COPD is very serious being the third leading cause of death in the United States, over 140,000 deaths per year and the number of people dying from COPD is growing. More than 11 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but an estimated 24 million may have the disease without even knowing it. COPD causes serious long-term disability and early death. Symptoms develop slowly. Over time, COPD can interfere with the performance of routine tasks and is thus a major cause of disability in the United States. The most common cause of COPD is smoking. But, COPD also occurs with miners and is called black lung disease. COPD is not contagious. Most of the time, treatment can ease symptoms and slow progression.

 

There is no cure for COPD. COPD treatments include lifestyle changes, medicine, bronchodilators, steroids, pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, and surgery. They all attempt to relieve symptoms, slow the progress of the disease, improve exercise tolerance, prevent and treat complications, and improve overall health. Yoga practice would seem to be a useful lifestyle change that could improve COPD symptoms as it has been shown to improve exercise tolerance and overall health and includes breathing exercises. Indeed, it has been shown that yoga practice improves the mental and physical health of patients with COPD.

 

In today’s Research News article “Yoga-based pulmonary rehabilitation for the management of dyspnea in coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized controlled trial.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1413254018698520/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052394/

Ranjita and colleagues studied the effectiveness of yoga practice on Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) by recruiting non-smoking male coal miners with COPD and randomly assigned them to a treatment as usual group or a yoga practice group. Yoga was practiced in 90-minute session, 6 days per week for 12 weeks. Before and after training the participants were measured for exercise tolerance with a walking test, breathing difficulty, blood oxygen levels, pulse rate, and fatigue.

 

They found that the miners who participated in the yoga practice had a significant (24.4%) improvement in breathing, a 25.9% decrease in fatigue, a 19.9% increase in the walking test distance covered, a 1.3% increase in blood oxygen levels, and a 4.3% decrease in resting pulse rate. Hence, yoga practice significantly improved the miners’ lung function, energy level, and physical fitness.

 

These are excellent results and suggest that yoga practice may be a very useful additional treatment for Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). Previous research has shown that yoga practice improved overall health, depression, anxiety in COPD sufferers. Since, yoga practice is a gentle exercise that includes breathing exercises, it seems reasonable that it would have these beneficial effects for COPD sufferers. It would be useful if future research compared yoga practice to other forms of exercise as treatments for COPD. The yoga practice used in this study was exceptionally intensive. Many patients would not be willing to engage in such an intense practice. Future research should also look at whether less intensive yoga practice might be beneficial.

 

So, improve chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) with yoga.

 

“A comprehensive yoga program can have a salutary effect on general health and respiratory health and thereby help increase a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living. COPD is known to increase the level of stress, emotional vulnerability, inactivity and muscle wasting. Yoga techniques are particularly suited for promoting relaxation, psycho-emotional stability and exercise tolerance.” – Vijai Sharma

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Ranjita, R., Hankey, A., Nagendra, H. R., & Mohanty, S. (2016). Yoga-based pulmonary rehabilitation for the management of dyspnea in coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 7(3), 158–166. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2015.12.001

 

Abstract

Background: Coal mine dust exposure causes chronic airflow limitation in coal miners resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, and eventually chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Yoga can alleviate dyspnea in COPD by improving ventilatory mechanics, reducing central neural drive, and partially restoring neuromechanical coupling of the respiratory system.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) in the management of dyspnea and fatigue in coal miners with COPD.

Materials and methods: Randomized, waitlist controlled, single-blind clinical trial. Eighty-one coal miners (36–60 years) with stable Stages II and III COPD were recruited. The yoga group received an IAYT module for COPD that included asanas, loosening exercises, breathing practices, pranayama, cyclic meditation, yogic counseling and lectures 90 min/day, 6 days/week for 12 weeks. Measurements of dyspnea and fatigue on the Borg scale, exercise capacity by the 6 min walk test, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2%), and pulse rate (PR) using pulse oximetry were made before and after the intervention.

Results: Statistically significant within group reductions in dyspnea (P < 0.001), fatigue (P < 0.001) scores, PR (P < 0.001), and significant improvements in SpO2% (P < 0.001) and 6 min walk distance (P < 0.001) were observed in the yoga group; all except the last were significant compared to controls (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Findings indicate that IAYT benefits coal miners with COPD, reducing dyspnea; fatigue and PR, and improving functional performance and peripheral capillary SpO2%. Yoga can now be included as an adjunct to conventional therapy for pulmonary rehabilitation programs for COPD patients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5052394/

 

Improve the Physical Discomfort from Cancer Treatment with Yoga

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yoga-cancer2-peppone

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Cancer patients who practice yoga as therapy during their treatment often refer to their yoga practice as a life-saver. No matter how sick from treatments and no matter how little energy, many find that the one thing that would bring relief were a gentle set of therapeutic yoga poses geared for cancer patients.” – Yoga U

 

About 12.5% of women in the U.S. develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes and every year about 40,000 women die. Indeed, more women in the U.S. die from breast cancer than from any other cancer, besides lung cancer. Breast cancer diagnosis, however, is not a death sentence. It is encouraging that the death rates have been decreasing for decades from improved detection and treatment of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates are now at around 95%.

 

The improved survival rates mean that more women are now living with cancer. Surviving cancer, however, carries with it a number of problems. “Physical, emotional, and financial hardships often persist for years after diagnosis and treatment. Cancer survivors are also at greater risk for developing second cancers and other health conditions.” (National Cancer Survivors Day). In addition, breast cancer survivors can have to deal with the consequences of chemotherapy, and often experience increased fatigue, pain, and bone loss, reduced fertility, difficulty with weight maintenance, damage to the lymphatic system, heightened fear of reoccurrence, and an alteration of their body image.

 

Treatments often involve aromatase inhibitor therapy which have been shown to be beneficial for survival and reduced rates of reoccurrence, but produce problematic side effects such as joint pain and stiffness, bone loss, and menopausal symptoms. This can lead to patients not adhering to, or even discontinuing treatments. So there is a need for safe and effective treatment for these side effects. Mindfulness training has been shown to help with cancer recovery and help to alleviate many of the residual psychological symptoms and improve cognitive function. Indeed, yoga practice has been found to improve sleep quality and memory, reduce the side effects from chemotherapy and improve the quality of life in cancer survivors. So, it makes sense to see if yoga can help to improve the side effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy in breast cancer survivors.

 

In today’s Research News article “The effect of YOCAS©® yoga for musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer survivors on hormonal therapy. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1401246889899233/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467273/

Peppone and colleagues recruited breast cancer survivors who were receiving aromatase inhibitor therapy and randomly assigned them to either participate in a twice a week, 75-minute session, 4-week community based yoga training or to receive treatment as usual. Participants were measured for musculoskeletal symptoms both before and after treatment. They found that the yoga treatment group relative to controls improved significantly on almost all measured dimensions of musculoskeletal symptoms, including pain, illness, time in bed, fatigue, muscle aches, arm weakness, sluggishness, and physical ability.

 

These results are very encouraging and suggest that yoga practice may be a safe and effective treatment for the musculoskeletal side effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer survivors. This is important not just for the comfort of the patients, but for their compliance with treatment and ultimate survival. This adds to the long list of beneficial effects of yoga practice. It would be expected that these women would not only have improved side effects but also receive a myriad of other physical and psychological benefits from the yoga practice.

 

So, improve the physical discomfort from cancer treatment with yoga.

 

“one of the main reasons that people with cancer use yoga is because it makes them feel good. Yoga teachers promote it as a natural way to help you relax and cope with stress, anxiety and depression. Generally, it can help to lift your mood and enhance well being. Some people with cancer who have used yoga say that it helps calm their mind so that they can cope better with their cancer and its treatment. Others say that it helps to reduce symptoms and side effects such as pain, tiredness, sleep problems and depression. Yoga can sometimes help you to move around more quickly and easily after surgery for cancer.” Cancer Research UK
CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available at the Contemplative Studies Blog http://contemplative-studies.org/wp/

They are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Peppone, L. J., Janelsins, M. C., Kamen, C., Mohile, S. G., Sprod, L. K., Gewandter, J. S., … Mustian, K. M. (2015). The effect of YOCAS©® yoga for musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer survivors on hormonal therapy. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 150(3), 597–604. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-015-3351-1

 

Abstract

Up to 50 % of breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitor therapy report musculoskeletal symptoms such as joint and muscle pain, significantly impacting treatment adherence and discontinuation rates. We conducted a secondary data analysis of a nationwide, multisite, phase II/III randomized, controlled, clinical trial examining the efficacy of yoga for improving musculoskeletal symptoms among breast cancer survivors currently receiving hormone therapy (aromatase inhibitors [AI] or tamoxifen [TAM]). Breast cancer survivors currently receiving AI (N = 95) or TAM (N = 72) with no participation in yoga during the previous 3 months were randomized into 2 arms: (1) standard care monitoring and (2) standard care plus the 4-week yoga intervention (2×/week; 75 min/session) and included in this analysis. The yoga intervention utilized the UR Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS©®) program consisting of breathing exercises, 18 gentle Hatha and restorative yoga postures, and meditation. Musculoskeletal symptoms were assessed pre- and post-intervention. At baseline, AI users reported higher levels of general pain, muscle aches, and total physical discomfort than TAM users (all P ≤ 0.05). Among all breast cancer survivors on hormonal therapy, participants in the yoga group demonstrated greater reductions in musculoskeletal symptoms such as general pain, muscle aches and total physical discomfort from pre-to post-intervention than the control group (all P ≤ 0.05). The severity of musculoskeletal symptoms was higher for AI users compared to TAM users. Among breast cancer survivors on hormone therapy, the brief community-based YOCAS©® intervention significantly reduced general pain, muscle aches, and physical discomfort.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467273/