Yoga cuts depression in women with breast cancer

North Carolina, February 26: Adding more to the already well-established benefits of yoga, a daily 75 minute regimen of restorative yoga – yoga aided with props such as cushions, blankets, bolsters, etc – helped cut 50 percent depressiondefine symptoms in women with breast cancerdefine, a new study suggests.

The 10-week study enrolled 44 women, all breast cancerdefine afflicts. While the majority had already completed treatment, 34 percent were still undergoing cancer treatment ranging from chemotherapy, radiationdefine therapy to surgery.

All volunteers filled in questionnaires both at the start and end of the 10-week study program.

22 volunteers were randomly assigned to take yoga classes. Volunteers followed a 75 minute daily regimen of restorative yoga for 10 weeks.

A follow-up assessment at the end of the study period revealed that breast cancer patients in the restorative yoga group benefited emotionally, physically and psychologically, as opposed to women in the control group.

They reported 50 percent reduction in symptoms of depressiondefine and a 12 percent increase in the sense of peacefulness and purpose following the restorative yoga sessions, the researchers noted.

Also, women with higher negative emotions and lower emotional wellbeing at the start of the study seemed to derive greater benefits, researchers tabulated.

"Yoga is one mind-body therapy that is widely available and involves relatively reasonable costs. Given the high levels of stress and distress that many women with breast cancer experience, the opportunity to experience feeling more peaceful and calm in the midst of breast cancer is a significant benefit" asserted study’s lead researcher, Suzanne Danhauer, researcher at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, North Carolina.

While the results of the study seem to dole-out positives for the wrecked cancer patients, researchers call out for a large scale, more planned study that minutely explores the effects of yoga – though positive, for sure.

The results of the study feature in the current issue of the journal Psycho-Oncology.