Yoga has been around for ages. This ancient practice has been said to rejuvenate the body and improve one’s strength. At the same time, it also helps to spur one’s overall health. Recently, researchers from the United States have discovered that yoga might actually aid in improving efficacy of the standard cancer therapy.
According to the experts from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, if one were to combine yoga along with nutrition education, this will have the ability to assist in the recovery of cancer in young patients. The findings from the research are based entirely upon an analysis of young cancer patients. All of these patients were assigned to a program specially created to include all aspects of yoga. “We’re focusing on all of the benefits of yoga, which include balance, coordination, a decrease in pain and improving quality of life,” stated Jessica Sparrow from the Departments of Clinical Nutrition and Rehabilitation Services at the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Every time after a yoga session is concluded, the patients were given a lesson on healthy eating. The lesson incorporates in-house demonstration as well as proper training from a professional health chef. “We focus on foods that bring patients out of their comfort zone but are also tasty and healthy. The younger kids are more open-minded about trying new foods. The parents, who are present at the sessions, can see that their children are eating hummus or something they might not have thought they would try. It encourages the families to make good food choices,” explained Karen Smith, the co-worker of the study who is also from the institute’s department of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers feel that by combining yoga with healthy diet changes, it can actually be a true complement to cancer therapy. “We intend to monitor the outcomes and track the progress as evidence-based research to not only improve upon existing knowledge at St. Jude, but also to share with others,” said Jessica. Researchers are actually hoping that the patients will continue to incorporate the practice in their daily lives. This can be done through breathing exercises on a daily basis. Jessica added that by performing this very basic technique everyday, it can help to alleviate anxiety and pain, which are the common side effects of cancer. For the full story, you can refer to it here.
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