Integrative Cancer Care: 5 Common Therapies
When going through a cancer journey, we often forget about integrative therapies which are services most of us use routinely for overall wellness. Implementing integrative treatments can complement traditional treatment and support the patient, caregiver, and family as well. These treatments can offer physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
5 Common Integrative Treatments for Cancer:
Acupuncture: A traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body which activates the body’s natural and instinctive healing capability. Acupuncture creates homeostasis of the body and mind reducing pain and works to minimize aftereffects of cancer treatment. Benefits of Acupuncture include better sleep, better mood, increased blood flow, reducing inflammation and overall improvement in health and wellness.
Chiropractic: Chiropractic care focuses on muscles, joints, and spine, to restore proper function, decrease pain, and improve overall health. It is an integrative form of health care that uses no drugs or surgery. Chiropractic as an integrative treatment in cancer can help alleviate the aches and pains associated with cancer treatment and help improve flexibility, mobility, and muscle strength. Chiropractic care has also been found to reduce stress and helps the body function more efficiently.
Massage Therapy: Oncology massage is a relaxing integrative treatment throughout the cancer journey. A light touch is used with slow and steady movements which helps the body relax, ease pain, anxiety, and fatigue often associated with the stress on the body. Aromatherapy massage is an alternative technique which incorporates essential oils into the massage to support body and mind providing a healing and relaxing environment.
Yoga: As with many types of complementary or integrative cancer therapies one of the main reasons that people practice yoga because it makes them feel good and helps lift the mood. Yoga is a natural way to help the body and mind relax and cope with the stress and anxiety that comes with the illness. There is also research yoga can help reduce symptoms and side effects such as pain, tiredness, sleep problems and depression. In one study yoga showed the highest effect for cancer related fatigue. Yoga can be practiced any time and at your own pace.
Reiki: Reiki is a form of energy medicine that originated in Japan. Reiki is based on the idea that there is a life force energy flowing through and around us nourishing our physical and energetic bodies. When a person’s body and mind are in a positive state of mind, this energy is strong, free-flowing and in harmony. However, there are times in our lives when our energy is low, imbalanced, or restricted by stress, injury, illness, or environmental factors. This can cause blocks that obstruct the vital flow of energy through our body and systems that is necessary for our health and well-being. Over time this leads to illness and depleted mental and emotional reserves while making us more susceptible to discomfort, further illness and disease.
Reiki can help restore and balance the flow of energy so that one is able to feel relaxed allowing the body’s own innate healing abilities to work fully. Reiki has proven to reduce cancer-related pain, fatigue, and anxiety and improve quality of life. It can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. It is a non-invasive technique that causes no side effects or complications, it can be performed on cancer patients at virtually any time following their diagnosis. Click here for more information on Reiki and cancer.
Many of these integrative treatments of cancer or practices may be helpful in reducing pain or at least lifting the spirits while being treated.
The term "integrative treatment" refers to the practice of combining traditional cancer treatments to address the tumor with alternative treatments to ease symptoms, and is an approach many cancer centers are now adopting.
Adding aromatherapy with many of these treatments helps provide overall calmness to the body and mind. Citrus oils are very uplifting and invigorating and compliment these integrative treatments of cancer.
If you are new to essential oils, check out this short video to learn more.
Fun fact: Aromatherapy is one way to incorporate citrus oils with integrative cancer care. It is the fastest way to the brain for mood modulation and the molecules reach the brain within 22 seconds. In 2 minutes, they can be found in the bloodstream and within 20 minutes they can work themselves down to the cellular level to support the well-being functions of the body and mind.
Check out my Natural Remedies to try during cancer treatment post for more information.