Practicing Yoga can Reduce Fatigue and Inflamation in Breast Cancer Survivors

A January 2014 study from researches at Ohio State University showed that practicing yoga for as little as three months can reduce fatigue and lower inflammation in breast cancer survivors. In addition, the benefits increased as survivors continued their yoga practice for a longer period of time.

During the study 200 breast cancer survivors who had completed all breast cancer treatments and were not experienced yoga practitioners were followed. They practiced yoga in groups of four to twenty people, for 90 minute sessions twice a week for twelve weeks.

At the end of the three month period the participants reported an average reduction in fatigue of 41 percent. Inflammation levels were measured based on the activation of three proteins in the blood that are indicators of inflammation. They were observed to be lower by 10, 11, and 15 percent on average.

The study’s lead author, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State University, is optimistic about how these results could be applied to other populations saying, “We also think the results could easily generalize to other groups of people who have issues with fatigue and inflammation.”

Read more about this exciting research in Science Daily here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140127164408.htm

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