Impact and Outcomes of an Iyengar Yoga Program in a Cancer Centre

Abstract

*With the increasing national and international popularity and exposure of Current Oncology, the queue of excellent submissions continues to lengthen. After substantial consideration, the journal's management has determined that the best way to manage this abundance is to move to a "hybrid" of combined print and electronic publication, with every e-manuscript being supported by a full print abstract and key words, and of course, indexing in PubMed for international recognition. E-JOURNAL LINKED ABSTRACTResearch on the factors that promote healing of the body through mind and spirit is at a very early stage. Reliance on experimental designs seems premature; we need much more exploratory research to identify relevant variables and useful therapeutic approaches before applying to them the same methods used to evaluate drugs. The Healing Journey is a program that has been in operation since 1982 at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. Observational data collection, followed by qualitative analysis has demonstrated benefits for many cancer patients. E-JOURNAL LINKED ABSTRACTAlmost since its inception, the Internet has been used by ordinary people to connect with peers and to exchange health-related information and support. With the rapid development of software applications deliberately designed to facilitate social interaction, a new era is dawning in which patients and their loved ones can collaboratively build knowledge related to coping with illness, while meeting their mutual supportive care needs in a timely way, regardless of location. In this article, we provide background information on the use of "one-to-one" (for example, e-mail), "one-to-many" (for example, e-mail lists), and "many-to-many" (for example, message boards and chat rooms, and more recently, applications associated with Web 2.0) computer-mediated communication to nurture health-related social networks and online supportive care. We also discuss research that has investigated the use of social networks by patients, highlight opportunities for health professionals in this area, and describe new advances that are fuelling this new era of collaboration in the management of cancer. E-JOURNAL LINKED ABSTRACTCancer can lead to spiritual transformation, which can be seen as a form of alchemy. During this process, patients, family members, and even professional caregivers can find themselves having spiritual experiences that go beyond any they had previously encountered. This paper provides qualitative descriptions of the "Field" or "Soul Wisdom" experienced by patients and caregivers.

Pilot Evaluation of an Iyengar Yoga Program for Breast Cancer Survivors

“…This finding suggests that breast cancerYspecific QoL may also be relevant to long-term survivors of breast cancer. Similarly, Duncan et al 19 reported a significant improvement in disease-specific QoL in a heterogeneous group of cancer survivors from participation in IY; however, in their study, two thirds of the sample were concurrently undergoing treatment for cancer. It is possible that disease-specific QoL is more relevant in the treatment versus survivorship phase of the cancer experience.…”

“…More recently, Duncan et al 19 evaluated the impact and outcomes of a 6-week IY program in 24 cancer survivors (42% breast cancer, 16.6% gynecological cancers, and 12.5% lymphoma). Statistically significant improvements were reported for the patientselected most bothersome symptom, QoL, spiritual well-being, and mood.…”

Mind–Body Therapies in Integrative Oncology

“…Results of this study indicate that more than 60% of the women reported improved mood and less anxiety. More recently, Duncan et al examined the efficacy of a 6-week Iyengar yoga program in 24 cancer survivors, and found improvement in patient-reported quality of life, spiritual well-being, and mood [54]. A recent pilot evaluation of Iyengar yoga for breast cancer reported after completion of a 12-week program, showed that improvement in quality of life and psychosocial functioning were observed among a sample of 24 women [52].…”

Impact of Yoga on Functional Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors With Aromatase Inhibitor–Associated Arthralgias

“…[22][23][24] As suggested by our pilot trial, yoga not only may improve pain severity and HR-QOL in women with AIAA, but the improvement in functional outcomes may hold particular clinical relevance for this population as they age, in the context of severe estrogen deprivation.…”

“…17 Previous trials of yoga for BCSs, although they showed improved QOL, lacked sufficient objective measures of function. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] To determine the effects of yoga on AI-related arthralgia, we proposed a pilot study to test the impact of yoga for treatment of AIAA among BCSs. The specific aims of this study were to (1) demonstrate the feasibility of recruitment and retention to a yoga trial, (2) determine the safety of the intervention, and (3) explore the effects of yoga on function, pain, and QOL.…”