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Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Other Complementary Therapies

Yoga for women with metastatic breast cancer

This pilot/feasibility study examined a novel, yoga-based palliative intervention, the Yoga of Awareness Program, in a sample of women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The 8-week protocol included gentle yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, didactic presentations, and group interchange. Outcome was assessed using daily measures of pain, fatigue, distress, invigoration, acceptance and relaxation during two pre-intervention weeks and the final 2 weeks of the intervention. Thirteen women completed the intervention (mean age 59; mean time since diagnosis 7 years; two African-American, 11 Caucasian). During the study, four participants had cancer recurrences, and the physical condition of several others deteriorated noticeably. Despite low statistical power, pre-to-post multilevel outcomes analyses showed significant increases in invigoration and acceptance. Lagged analyses of length of home yoga practice (controlling for individual mean practice time and outcome levels on the lagged days) showed that on the day after a day during which women practised more, they experienced significantly lower levels of pain and fatigue, and higher levels of invigoration, acceptance and relaxation.

Carson JW, Carson KM, Porter LS et al. Yoga for women with metastatic breast cancer: results from a pilot study. J Pain Symptom Manage 2007; 33: 331–41.
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