Supporting Immunity with Yoga Therapy During Cancer Care
Cancer is a disease that affects a lot of people not only in the US but also worldwide. From 2016 to 2019, the survival rate for cancer is 68.7%. The shocking statistic is that approximately 41% of people in the US will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Fortunately, there are various health programs that are in place to help those with cancer, including yoga for cancer patients.
As a disease, cancer attacks various systems in a person’s body. One of these systems is the immune system. Read on to know more about what the immune system is, how cancer affects it, and how yoga for cancer patients can help support their immunity.
What is the Immune System?
According to the National Cancer Institute, the immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that help the body’s defense system against infections. They usually include white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system. Some of these are the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and bone marrow.
This system fights bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. With the help of the immune system, the body flushes out these things from the body.
When the immune system is compromised, the body is unable to remove these from the body. As a result, the person gets sick.
How does Cancer Affect the Immune System?
When immune cells grow uncontrollably, certain kinds of cancer can occur. These are leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma which affect the immune system directly.
These result in immunosuppression, or the reduced ability of the immune system to fight unwanted foreign objects in the body. Cancer damages the overall function of this particular system and has a huge impact on the T cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells.
When the immune system is not working properly, chronic inflammation and other conditions can occur.
How Can Yoga Support the Immune System
Yoga for cancer patients offers a variety of health benefits, especially to the immune system. First and foremost, it downregulates pro-inflammatory markers. It reduces cytokine IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, which are pro-inflammatory markers.
Yoga for cancer patients also helps improve the respiratory function of cells. Improved cells will help ensure that they are functioning properly.
Additionally, yoga for cancer patients can help lower stress levels. It also helps improve sleep, resulting in better quality of life for the individuals.
Most importantly, yoga therapy helps ensure better lymph circulation.
Conclusion
Cancer is a condition that affects various systems of the body, including the immune system. Yoga for cancer patients has shown different benefits that can help improve such conditions.
Are you a yoga teacher or healthcare practitioner looking to incorporate yoga and mindfulness into your practice? Are you interested in learning more about Yoga and Cancer Care? Please check out our annual Yoga and Cancer Care Training - as well as our comprehensive yoga therapy certification at Prema Yoga Institute.
