Yoga as an alternative and complementary treatment for cancer

Cancer is a major public health concern with millions being affected all over the world. Modern medicine is often not sufficient in dealing with all aspects of cancer. In such a case interest has been generated in alternative and complementary systems of medicine. One such approach is the mind-body technique of yoga. The purpose of this article was to ascertain the efficacy of yoga as an alternative and complementary treatment option for cancer. The method used in this study was a systematic qualitative review of interventions obtained from MEDLINE, CINAHL, & Alt Health Watch databases. Studies included in this review were (1) published in the English language (2) published between the years 2010 and 2012 (3) that included any form of yoga as a part of an intervention (4) that used any quantitative study design, and (5) that measured any psychological (sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety etc.) or physical factor (pain, functional ability etc.) associated with cancer as an outcome. A total of 13 studies met these criteria. Eight of these studies had been done in United States while one each was from Slovenia, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, and Turkey. Six studies used randomized controlled design; one study used quasi experimental design; while six studies used pretest posttest design. The evidence for efficacy of yoga as an alternative and complementary treatment for cancer was found to be mixed though generally positive. Limitations of the studies included a mixed usage of instruments, low sample sizes, and a lack of theory-based approach.