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Prof. Dr. Mustafa Özdoğan · Medical Oncologist

How Does Yoga Benefit Cancer Patients?

How Does Yoga Benefit Cancer Patients?
In this article

Yoga is an ancient Indian practice based on relaxing body and mind. The burdens and difficulties of modern living have driven people to seek relaxation, spreading yoga worldwide. Receiving a cancer diagnosis and struggling with disease at different levels challenges every aspect of life beyond ordinary difficulties. Establishing a relaxation technique in one's life during this demanding process makes a meaningful difference in quality of life . Scientific studies in cancer patients show yoga reduces disease-related psychological stress and provides emotional and physical well-being.

Yoga's Positive Psychological Effects

After diagnosis, patients often have anxiety and depressive symptoms such as sleep problems, negative thoughts, low mood, fatigue, and poor concentration. Yoga is proven to reduce these psychological problems. Meditation and Deep Breathing, Closely Linked with Yogaclear the mind and focus on the beauty of the present moment, life, and each breath. Yoga promotes self-help mechanisms and awareness of life, making stressful situations easier to handle. It restores spiritual feelings and inner peace often affected at diagnosis. Group practice brings shared experiences, togetherness, and companionship, overcoming isolation and alienation. Physical and mental relaxation skills continue benefiting people after treatment, easing intervals between checkups, allowing calmer waiting for results, and reducing recurrence anxiety.

YOGA'S POWER in Coping with Cancer and Treatment Adverse Effects

Cancer itself and chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery may cause pain, nausea, appetite loss, and fatigue. Appropriate patient-adapted stretching can reduce pain and stiffness. Abdominal yoga postures have been shown to help chemotherapy-related nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss. Improvement can have a domino effect; reduced pain, for example, improves sleep. Breast cancer patients were studied in 61 women, comparing yoga 2 times weekly with the same number not practicing yoga. Women practicing yoga had more energy, less sleepiness, better physical function, and higher overall quality of life.

how yoga works physiological and metabolic changes

Including YOGA in the Disease Process

Doctors, oncology nurses or other team members should emphasize methods benefiting body and mind, identifying yoga as an excellent option. Cancer teams should be encouraged to incorporate it. Some private centers offer it, while informed patient demand may help establish it in public and private health care. Patients aware of benefits should seek medical advice about suitability and undergo physical assessment. Many techniques vary in difficulty, allowing adaptation to ability and inclination. Breathing techniques and simple exercises can be practiced anywhere.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as discussed in our previous articles , yoga is scientifically supported and very beneficial to many cancer patients' quality of life. We wished to remind you of a suggestion adding beauty to life. May you retain awareness filling every breath with peace, with well-being and love…

Cancer Patients Practicing Yoga at Antalya Memorial Medstar Chemotherapy and Art Center
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