Yoga interventions have been shown to improve cancer-related mental and emotional health.
Yoga supports cancer related mental and emotional health
A randomized trial published in 2007 compared six weeks of 90-minute yoga classes to individual counseling for women with breast cancer (n= 58). The study found clinically significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress in the yoga group. There was a 48% reduction in anxiety, 58% decrease in depression, and 27% reduction in stress. Evidence of cellular damage due to radiation therapy was also lower for the women participating in yoga interventions compared to the counseling group.(1)
A meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials (RTCs) of breast cancer patients also found that various yoga interventions resulted in statistically significant reductions in distress (75%), anxiety (77%), depression (69%), and fatigue (51%). In addition, there were moderate increases in emotional functioning (49%) and social functioning (33%). Although RCTs with larger and more diverse samples are needed to generalize the findings, the analysis offers preliminary support for the feasibility and effectiveness of yoga interventions for cancer patients.(2)
Banerjee, B., Vadiraj, H.S., Ram, A., Rao, R., Jayapal, M., Gopinath, K.S., Ramesh, B.S., Rao, N., Kumar, A. Rahhuram, N., Hegde, S., Nagendra, H.R., & Hande, M.P. (2007). Effects of an integrated yoga program in modulating psychological stress and radiation-induced genotoxic stress in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 6(3): 242-50.
Buffart, L.M., van Uffelen, J.G., Riphagen, I.I., brug, J., van Mechelen, W., Brown, W.j., & Chinapaw, M.J. (2012). Physical and psychosocial benefits of yoga in cancer patients and survivors, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Cancer, 12: 55