Children can benefit from a regular yoga
practice. Children hospitalized with oncological diagnoses are at high risk for
developing decreased mobility, fitness, balance, and strength due to decreased
functional activity as they undergo treatment. Induction therapy is the
first step in cancer treatment, which is followed by additional therapies
such as chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants. Once cancer is
in remission, maintenance therapy is used to prevent
a relapse. Children with one of the most common childhood cancers, acute lymphoblastic
leukemia, often receive chemotherapy for 2.5 to 3.5 years. Side effects of
chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer include delayed growth and
development, depression and anxiety, chronic pain, hearing loss, weakness in
bone structure, cardiovascular and heart problems because of chemotherapy and
radiation to the spine or chest wall, scarring of lung tissue and increased
risk of lung inflammation and infection, and muscle wasting and decreased
balance in the lower extremities.
Limited information on guidelines for physical activity for children
undergoing oncology treatment is available. Children are likely to
have individualized responses to exercise programs regardless of the type
of cancer and stage of the disease and require an individual exercise
prescription. Participation in a structured therapeutic exercise program can
provide a safe environment in which Pediatric oncology patients can
exercise at a level appropriate for their unique needs. Cancer survivors
who participate in exercise programs during treatment may be more motivated to
continue exercising if regular exercise is experienced as a positive change
in quality of life and physical fitness. Low-impact exercise
programs have been beneficial in improving physical activity level and reducing
fatigue in cancer patients undergoing treatment for hematological malignancies. Children with
oncological diagnoses who received stem cell transplants demonstrated improved
maximal oxygen consumption as a response to exercise. Exercise programs
that stress balance have been found to improve lower extremity balance,
strength, and proprioception as much as more traditional exercise programs. Results
from previous studies on exercise for Pediatric oncology patients
suggest that many patients had lower levels of physical activity and
perceived quality of life during and after cancer treatment.
Yoga is a low-impact exercise that has been incorporated into Pediatric exercise programs for
strength, balance, pain control, and quality of life. Studies are needed
to determine the efficacy of yoga as part of a low-impact exercise program for
children with cancer. Prolonged periods of treatment affect quality
of life for children with oncological diagnoses. Information on how
exercise affects quality of life must be gathered to support the
development of appropriate exercise programs for this population.
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