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A twice weekly yoga session improved quality of life and reduced side effects of conventional treatment in men with prostate cancer. [Photo: Bigstock]

Yoga benefits men with prostate cancer

Natural Health News — Yoga is used by millions of people to relieve stress and improve fitness, but the practice may yield more unexpected benefits.

A new study suggests yoga may help maintain quality of life and alleviate some side effects for men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

Yoga is a mind and body practice that involves a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques and meditation or relaxation.

Several studies have hailed yoga for its potential health benefits. One study that found the practice may improve quality of life for patients with breast cancer, while a more recent study suggested yoga may improve symptoms of arthritis and help relieve back pain. Last year a study found that that found yoga can improve cardiovascular risk as much as aerobic exercises like cycling.

Not just for women

To date, studies have primarily focused on how the practice benefits female cancer patients – mainly due to the assumption that men do not want to take part in yoga, Studies show for example that in the US around 72% of yoga participants are women.

But now, a team of researchers from University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine have found that yoga may offer significant benefits for men with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK and the second most common cancer in the US where around 1 in 7 men in the US will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

While radiation therapy can be an effective treatment option for men with prostate cancer, it produces side effects that may impair a patient’s quality of life. For instance, around 60-90% of men undergoing such treatment experience fatigue, 21-85% experience erectile dysfunction and 24% experience urinary incontinence.

Better quality of life, fewer side effects

The researchers set out to assess how yoga may affect quality of life and treatment side effects for men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

The team enrolled 68 prostate cancer patients to their study who were undergoing 6-9 weeks of outpatient radiation therapy. Of these, 45 agreed to take part in 75 minutes of Eischens yoga twice weekly during their treatment.

Eischens yoga is rooted in Iyengar yoga, which focuses on correct body alignment, but also incorporates ideas from movement theory and weight resistance, and is accessible to all body types and experience levels

The researchers used questionnaires to assess the effectiveness of the yoga and found that throughout the course of radiation therapy and yoga sessions, the men’s quality of life was maintained. Fatigue severity also improved, while prevalence of erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence remained steady.

Commenting on these findings, study leader Dr. Neha Vapiwala said:

“Data have consistently shown declines in these important measures among prostate cancer patients undergoing cancer therapy without any structured fitness interventions, so the stable scores seen with our yoga programme are really good news.”

Body and mind benefits

Previous studies have shown that yoga can reduce treatment-related fatigue for cancer patients, and may strengthen pelvic floor muscles and increase blood flow, which may explain why the practice appeared to alleviate erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence in this study.

“There may also be a psychosocial benefit that derives from participation in a group fitness activity that incorporates meditation and promotes overall healthiness. And all of this ultimately improves general quality of life,” adds Dr. Vapiwala.

The team says their findings indicate that yoga is a feasible approach to maintaining quality of life for men being treated for prostate cancer, noting that the participation rate in their study challenges the popular notion that men do not want to engage in the practice.