A recent study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that yoga may help breast cancer survivors to cope with fatigue.

Cancer patients experience fatigue as a side effect of cancer treatment. The study notes that up to 33% of breast cancer survivors experience fatigue.

An article from the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) shed light on how Iyengar yoga is helping breast cancer patients deal with fatigue.

iyengar-yoga-cancer-fatigue2The 2-group randomized study compared the effects of cancer-related fatigue in 31 breast cancer survivors. Survivors were randomly selected to receive 12 weeks of Iyengar yoga or heath education intervention. Iyengar yoga is a traditional form of Hatha yoga and uses different poses and breathing techniques for various medical conditions.

The health education classes included lectures on topical issues and discussions. Participants completed fatigue-related questionnaires before starting their intervention, immediately after their intervention, and 3 months following their intervention.

Researchers found that “targeted yoga intervention led to significant improvements in fatigue and vigor among breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue symptoms.”