Effect Of Pranayama and Yoganidra on Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in Patients With Cancer of the Cervix- A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. The treatment of cervical cancer helps in survival of the patient, but along with that it is associated with some after-effects which have to be addressed. Autonomic dysfunction, anxiety and depression, loss of appetite are the most usual side-effects which influences the QOL of cervical cancer sufferers. Yoga is known to reduce these complications which result from the standard of care. So Yoganidra and Pranayama which are considered to be the parts of Yoga can be implemented in the patients of cervical cancer to lessen these concomitants and to enhance the overall wellbeing of the patients. Methods: A sample of 70 cervical cancer patients was recruited. Participants were randomly allocated to experimental group (35) and control group (35). Yoganidra and Pranayama were taught for 30 minutes, twice a day, and 5 days a week for 6 weeks for experimental group along with standard of care. Control group was undergoing standard of care alone. Assessment was done by analyzing the HRV, QOL, anxiety & depression and appetite using AD HRV instrument, EORTC questionnaire, HADS questionnaire, and SNAQ questionnaire. RTOG guidelines were also used to assess the blood components and skin reactions resulted because of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The assessment was done at the baseline,2nd, 4t h and 6t h week. Results: Statistical analysis was done using non-parametric tests called Mann-Whitney for between the groups and Friedman ANOVA for within the groups comparison. The HRV scores, QOL scores, HADS scores, SNAQ scores and the blood component scores and skin reactions scores were compared between the experimental and control groups at different treatment time points. After 6 weeks of intervention, a significant improvement was noticed in the HRV, QOL and appetite scores, blood components (p<0.05) and significant decrease in anxiety and depression scores (p<0.05) were seen in the experimental group than control group. But the skin reactions have not shown much difference in both the groups. xviii Conclusion: Present study suggests that Pranayama and Yoganidra can be used as complementary therapies to standard of care to enhance autonomic functions, QOL, depression and anxiety, appetite, and radiotoxicity in cervical cancer. The results here explain that yoga can be used as an additional therapy in cervical cancer management.