Mesothelioma Research Paper

Words: 548
Pages: 3

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos. It affects the thin, protective membrane surrounding the lungs, heart and abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma symptoms do not begin to show for 15 to 50 years after the exposure to asbestos. The cancer may take decades to develop in the body and symptoms do not arise until after the cancer is present. An estimated 3,000 cases annually are diagnosed in the United States, and the majority of those are traced to an occupational exposure.

Mesothelioma pain can be a real problem for those diagnosed with the condition. Not only does the condition decrease quality of life, but conventional treatment can cause a lot of pain for the patient. Scientists are thankfully
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Yoga has been used to improve the health of practitioners for many years. Now some experts agree that the mind-body regimen may be useful for pain management.

What Does The New Research Say?

The study looked at yoga’s influence on how the brain perceives pain. For the experiment, the scientists recruited 28 subjects: 14 who practiced yoga and 14 who did not practice. All study participants submerged their hands in cold water and held them there until they could not stand the pain. Afterward, they answered questions about their strategies to cope with pain and underwent brain scans.

The experiment showed that those who practiced yoga were able to tolerate the cold water task twice as long as the other subjects. The brain scans showed that those who did yoga had greater concentrations of grey matter cells in parts of the brain that are important for processing pain. Furthermore, yoga practitioners talked about using yoga techniques to deal with the pain, such as concentrating on their breathing and ability to relax.

What Does This Mean For Mesothelioma