Treating mesothelioma is one of the biggest issues in modern medicine. It’s one of the deadliest types of cancer around, and the medical industry has yet to find a cure.
But survivors like Paul Kraus have defied conventional medical expectations. Paul alone has survived for more than two decades, which makes him a modern medical miracle. His experience of using alternative treatments, with a focus on lifestyle, has helped doctors learn more about mesothelioma and how to treat it.
Exercise, for one, has strong links with increased survival rates. Let’s look at the link between exercise and improved prognoses in mesothelioma patients.
How Exercise Benefits the Body Physically
The most common types of mesothelioma are malignant and pleural. They’re both caused by exposure to asbestos and have extremely low survival rates among sufferers. Cases of pleural mesothelioma account for 75% of all cases.
That’s why Paul began to explore alternative treatments in order to improve his overall level of health and subdue the cancer growing within him.
You should visit www.survivingmesothelioma.com to find out more about mesothelioma and Paul’s journey.
Exercise has a range of physical benefits. The reason why scientists are linking exercise with improved survival rates in cancer patients is the increase in blood flow caused by exercise.
With more blood flow, oxygen and other nutrients are transferred around the body at a faster rate. This strengthens the body’s defenses by preventing cancer from draining your body’s immune system of its ability to fight.
Regular exercise also prevents the body from becoming physically weak through muscle wastage, which is all too common in cancer sufferers.
Scientists Link Exercise with Better Mental Health
Several studies have further demonstrated the power of exercise in improving mental health. Patients typically see a reduction in anxiety and stress.
For someone fighting mesothelioma, this is incredibly important. The power of a positive state of mind can have an impact on how successful a patient’s treatment is.
Mental health issues, such as depression, lead directly to further health problems.
A Reduction in Stress
Any type of cancer leads to stress. Mesothelioma sufferers need to cope with the fact they may only have months to live unless they do something now.
That’s a significant amount of stress.
An estimated 77% of Americans suffer physical symptoms from stress. Now, while there’s no proven link between cancer and stress, there’s no doubt that it makes it harder for the body to recover.
When your body fights mesothelioma, it’s like putting stress on top of stress. Exercise reduces pent-up stress.
Improving the Quality of Rest
A big part of successful mesothelioma treatment is rest. Cancer naturally drains the body. The more rest you get the more you’re going to heal.
Regular exercise and rest increase the effectiveness of immune system cells. The average cancer patient should be looking to get eight to ten hours of sleep per night during their treatment.
Exercise makes it easier to sleep because you’re disbursing energy.
Conclusion: The Link Between Exercise and Mesothelioma
Exercise does have a big role to play in treating mesothelioma, as well as other forms of cancer. But it has to be the right type of exercise (low impact), paired with a healthy diet, and involve plenty of sleep every night.
Every mesothelioma patient should incorporate an exercise regime into their treatment plan.
Are you suffering from mesothelioma and need to develop an exercise plan?
