BREAST CANCER YOGA AND EXERCISE
From the moment she is confronted with the reality of Breast Cancer, almost every woman feels the need to make adjustments in her life and take precautions beyond the treatments recommended by her doctors.
From the moment they are confronted with the reality of breast cancer, almost every woman feels the need to make adjustments to her life, taking precautions beyond the treatments recommended by her doctor.
It is known that a significant portion of breast cancers spreads through the lymphatic system. Therefore, understanding the cancer-fighting cells found in lymphatic fluid, their activities, and their distribution throughout the body are crucial in the fight against breast cancer. Lymphatic vessels, unlike the rest of our blood circulation system, do not have their own pumping and valve systems. Lymphatic fluid requires the pumping power of muscles to circulate throughout our body. We know that the prognosis of breast cancer is more adverse in individuals who are less active, i.e., those with low lymphatic activity and the accompanying obesity.
One of the most important studies published in recent years on the prognosis of breast cancer has shown that the adverse prognosis of breast cancer is 20% less in those who regularly walk or swim for 30 minutes three times a week. It has also been reported that the same exercise habit reduces the risk of breast cancer by 12% in people without breast cancer. It has also been shown that, particularly in women who had to have their axillary lymph nodes removed, lymphedema develops less frequently in those who exercise compared to those who do not.
YOGA, a frequently mentioned alternative treatment and exercise method, has scientifically demonstrated its positive effects on breast cancer patients. Originally a meditation technique of Indian origin, yoga literally means to control or bring together. Indeed, yoga fulfills both of these definitions in its impact on breast cancer, both in controlling the disease and its complications, and in bringing breast cancer patients together.
Bringing together women with breast cancer to practice yoga techniques creates extremely positive effects, fostering solidarity and allowing them to enjoy and relax. The most significant effect of yoga is its positive effects on the circulatory, respiratory, and mental health systems. Breathing and exhalation exercises, the most important components of yoga, contribute significantly to both reducing anxiety in women and, by creating balanced pressure on the diaphragm and the main centers of the lymphatic system, to the lymphatic system's fight against disease. An article with strong evidence on women undergoing radiation therapy and practicing yoga has shown that women who practice yoga experience fewer negative effects related to the disease, and that these positive effects persist as long as they continue to practice these methods.
So, what does all this mean? Yoga and exercise, when used in conjunction with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, are as effective support and treatment tools as medical treatments for women with breast cancer.