Are alternative cancer therapies safe? 4 ways to use complementary medicine to support your traditional cancer treatments
Jun 13, 2019If you have ever wondered whether it is safe to utilize alternative cancer therapies while undergoing conventional medical treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the answer is YES!
I make my living helping women with cancer navigate the complexities of mastectomy and other cancer surgeries, chemo, radiation and long term medication with massage therapy and holistic lifestyle choices, so I have seen first hand the difference it makes in their lives. I am here to share some of those benefits with you!
Many people find using alternative cancer therapies extremely effective for pain relief, immune system support, increasing energy and improving quality of life.
In this article, you will see an overview of 4 ways complementary medicine can improve your cancer experience that are safe to do alongside your traditional medical treatments. We will delve more deeply into each category in subsequent blogs.
#1: Reduce pain by getting an oncology massage
Many traditional cancer treatments are very uncomfortable, painful and unpleasant. Sad fact but many people suffer through conventional medical treatments, even though they are designed to help you overcome cancer in the long run. Sometimes the experience of getting treatment can feel worse than the cancer itself! Crazy but true.....
Massage therapists are experts at pain reduction and can make living in your body much more comfortable, easier and less painful as well as speed recovery time from surgery, chemo & radiation. We can also teach you things to do at home, to empower you to gain some control back over your life and health again.
#2: Decrease stress with meditation
Stress is not your friend! Unless it is the happy, excited kind of stress you can get from finding out your best friend planned a 50-person surprise birthday party for you! But the kind of stress we are talking about here is of the more damaging variety, that creates inflammation all over your body, impedes digestion, sleep, thought patterns, mood stability and decision-making abilities.
Meditation is brilliant for reducing stress on many levels. A study by Speca et. al showed a reduction in mood disturbances by 65% and a 31% decrease in symptoms of stress with a meditation program for post-cancer outpatients (1). Meditation is a simple, low-cost way to improve your health on many levels and has far-reaching effects.
#3: Improve your strength and range of motion with yoga
Many conventional cancer therapies can leave you feeling tight, stiff, aching, sore, weak and with not much energy to do anything. Plus they can also promote a "dissociative" effect from your mind to your body.
Yoga can help relieve a tight and sore body, promote healthy fluid flow in your circulatory, lymphatic and cerebrospinal fluid systems, muscles, joints and abdominal organs, which feels great. It helps restore your energy with pranayama (breathing) exercises and engages your musculoskeletal system in a mindful way to build both strength and flexibility. Plus it helps connect your mind and body again, so you can stay attuned to your body's needs.
#4: Strengthen your immune system with forest bathing
Can walking amongst trees really be considered medicine? It can if you consider nature our original medicine chest! Trees naturally give off essential oils, which are reparative for our bodies. They also help boost your white blood cells in your immune system; specifically natural killer cells, which are essential for fighting off cancer cells, by up to 50% as a study by Li et al. showed (2).
Forest bathing has been shown to improve the presence of natural killer cells and anti-cancer proteins in your body for up to a week after your trip to the woods (3), so it's a gift that keeps on giving. If you thought "take a hike" was an insult, think again! Do yourself a favour and get out into your nearest forest, breathe in the good air, oxygen, essential oils, extra energy and support your immune system for free!
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So there you have it, 4 easy and low-cost ways to support your cancer journey with alternative cancer therapies. Now, we want you to take action on at least one of these things this week! Out of the 4 things we have listed, what can you do for yourself?
- Get an oncology massage?
- Practice meditation?
- Go to yoga class?
- Take a walk in the woods?
Time is all a matter of prioritizing what is most important to you and if we prioritize something, we usually make time for it.
If money is an issue, 3 of the 4 suggestions can be done for free (free meditation and yoga can be found on YouTube and walking in the woods is usually no cost). And massages can often be claimed on your extended health benefits if you have them, so they can be free too!
Don't worry about taking time away from your family, or feel guilty for "indulging" yourself. As they say in the airplanes, put your own oxygen mask on first before assisting other people. One thing my patients tell me, which is in the "Silver Linings to Cancer" category, since cancer came into their lives they have realized they can no longer afford to put themselves last, that taking time for themselves is essential to not only their own wellbeing but that of their family too.
So choose at least one thing to do for yourself this week and then repeat it several times to really boost the effects of it. You'll be glad you did!
Stay tuned for subsequent blogs outlining each of these suggestions in more detail :-)
For now, happy trails!
References:
1. Speca, Michael PsyD; Carlson, Linda E. PhD; Goodey, Eileen MSW; Angen, Maureen PhD. "A Randomized, Wait-list Controlled Clinical Trial: The Effects of a Mindfulness Meditation-based Stress Reduction Program on Mood and Symptoms of Stress in Cancer Outpatients". Psychosomatic Medicine: September-October 2000 - Volume 62 - Issue 5 - p 613-622
2. Q. Li, K. Morimoto, A. Nakadai. "Forest Bathing Enhances Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins". First Published April 1, 2007 Research Article https://doi.org/10.1177/03946320070200S202
3. Q. Li, K. Morimoto, M. Kobayashi, ... "Visiting a Forest, but Not a City, Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins". First Published January 1, 2008 Research Article
https://doi.org/10.1177/039463200802100113
Next article: When is it safe to get a post-mastectomy massage? The answer might surprise you!