Cancer survivors may have a better health rate and reduce their chance of recurrence if they practice Tai Chi, according to a new report from UCLA.

The test involved 90 breast cancer survivors over a five-year period who also were experiencing insomnia. In breast cancer survivors, insomnia may cause inflammation, a "significant risk factor... known to make a cancer's recurrence more likely," according to UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center member Dr. Michael Irwin.

Some participants participated in a three-month Tai Chi course, while others were given congitive therapy for their sleep disorder.

The findings were significant, according to Southern California Public Radio:

[Irwin] said those who participated in a three-month Tai Chi course experienced significant reductions in inflammation compared with those who received cognitive therapy designed only to help them sleep better.

"What’s really surprising about this study is the magnitude of the change we’ve found with Tai Chi within a very short period of time," Irwin said.

The difference appeared to be that while cognitive therapy is designed to address psychological issues that may make it hard for someone to fall asleep, Tai Chi targets the body’s stress system, which is more directly linked to inflammation, he said.

Irwin noted that Tai Chi practitioners experience a decrease in the stress hormones produced by the sympathetic nervous system. 

The study, published November 4, 2014 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is available online.