Parasympathetic yoga postures help in prostate cancer

Yoga can reduce the emotional and physical fatigue brought on by cancer treatment. In 2017, scientists reported for the first time that this is also true specifically for men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

Men who took a yoga class twice a week during prostate cancer radiation treatment reported less fatigue, fewer sexual side effects, and better urinary functioning than men who did not.

The research team enrolled 50 men aged 53 to 85 years, who were diagnosed with early or advanced nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Of them, 22 were assigned to yoga classes and the rest did not participate in yoga. All the men received scheduled radiation treatments; 29 of them were also on hormonal therapy, and 19 had been treated previously with surgery. The yoga and control groups were evenly balanced with respect to various cancer treatments as well as treatments for side effects.

The yoga sessions (Eischens yoga) lasted 75 minutes each. Before, during, and after the nine-week study, men were asked to rate their fatigue, as well as sexual and urinary symptoms.

Men in the yoga group reported improving or stabilizing symptom scores over time, whereas men in the non-yoga group reported worsening symptoms. According to the study authors, yoga improves erectile and urinary function by strengthening core muscles and improving blood flow. They urged men to keep an open mind and to look for a yoga group and instructor with whom they feel comfortable.

Eischens yoga addresses imbalances and weakness resulting from injuries or habits by improving alignments and muscle stimulation or relaxation. With its emphasis on self-awareness and self-healing, students experience a transformation that is helpful to create more energetic poses and better alignments.

The yogic "locks" of the body are not asanas, per se, they are binds or muscle contractions that make poses more effective and enhance your control of energy. Mula bandha is the root lock, in which you engage the muscles of your pelvic floor.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee
Vice President CMAAO
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Immediate Past National President IMA