Effects of yoga on post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting

Abstract

Nausea and vomiting is the most common and distressing side effect of chemotherapy. Despite advances in antiemetic treatment, this complication is still an annoying problem for a significant number of patients under chemotherapy. This study examined the effect of an integrated yoga program on chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting. This study was a clinical trial study on 60 outpatients with diagnosed cancer and underwent chemotherapy. The patients were selected based on the inclusion criteria and divided into the two groups of patients groups. In the case group, the yoga program was conducted 30 minute before the start of chemotherapy, the subjects were asked to practice daily at homework. Severity of nausea and vomiting times for 4 days after chemotherapy was evaluated and compared in the two groups. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software. The findings in the first day after intervention showed no statically significant difference between two groups about severity of nausea (P=0.5), but in second and third days (P=0.01) and also fourth day (P=0.001), the severity of nausea was lower in the case group. The mean severity of vomiting in the first, second and third day was not significant difference in two group (P>0.07), but in the fourth day the difference was significant between two groups (P=0.03). The results of study suggest that yoga intervention might be useful as an adjunct with antiemetic drug, for controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea.