Yoga Hits the Halls of Medicine

The ancient practice of yoga is increasingly finding a new following -- among doctors and medical researchers who are working to prove its benefits for a variety of illnesses.

Researchers at University of North Carolina Hospitals are studying yoga's benefits for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Doctors at Duke University recently completed a study showing that yoga provided significant improvements with hot flashes, sleep and energy levels for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer.

And in eastern North Carolina, an oncologist in Beaufort County sees improvement in his patients who take yoga classes.

"There's been an explosion of data using yoga as a treatment option," said Shelley Wroth, an obstetrician at Duke Integrative Medicine and a yoga teacher.

She said studies have found that yoga helps people suffering diseases such as hypertension, anxiety, arthritis, chronic back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, stress, depression, diabetes and epilepsy -- among others.

"It shows so much promise," Wroth said.