Decades of research show that yoga can reduce the emotional and physical fatigue brought on by cancer treatment. In 2017, scientists reported for the primary time that this was very true for men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. Men who took yoga classes twice per week during radiation treatment for prostate cancer reported less fatigue, fewer sexual unwanted effects, and higher urinary function than men who didn't.
The research team enrolled 50 men aged 53 to 85 who had been diagnosed with early or advanced non-metastatic prostate cancer. 22 of them were assigned to yoga classes and the remainder didn't take part in yoga. All men received fixed radiation treatments; Of these, 29 were also on hormonal therapy, and 19 had previously been treated with surgery. The yoga and control groups were equally well balanced with respect to the varied cancer treatments in addition to treatment unwanted effects.
The form of yoga evaluated within the study, called Eischens yoga, focuses on placing and maintaining poses, and is accessible to all body types and experience levels. Each session lasted 75 minutes. Before, during, and after the nine-week study, the boys were asked to rate their fatigue in addition to sexual and urinary symptoms.
Men within the yoga group reported improvement or stabilization of symptom scores over time, while men within the non-yoga group reported worsening of symptoms. The authors hypothesized that yoga improves erectile and urinary function by strengthening core muscles and improving blood flow. He urged men to maintain an open mind and discover a yoga group and instructor they feel comfortable with.
