Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Help Cancer Patients
Cancer can be a very scary diagnosis to hear from a doctor. In a bid to do everything to beat cancer some people turn to alternative medicine. Although acupuncture and oriental medicine are not substitutes for chemotherapy or radiation, these alternative treatments can help a person heal from cancer.
Acupuncture and oriental medicine are not wonder cures and certainly should not be looked at as a way to cure cancer but instead they can be used with conventional cancer treatments. It is more than your body that is attacked by cancer; your spiritual and emotional well being is also affected when you have cancer.
Side Effects
To cure cancer conventional treatments attack cancer cells. This process also attacks healthy cells and leaves the body feeling weak. Nausea, vomiting, and fatigue are common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is where acupuncture and oriental medicine comes in.
Acupuncture and oriental medicine can help to alleviate these nasty side effects and help with the healing process. The lymphedema can occur during cancer treatments and using acupuncture to stimulate lymph flow can help to prevent this from happening.
The immune system can also be improved with acupuncture herbal medicine therapies. This can be achieved by increasing the number of white blood cells in the body that are depleted after numerous radiation and chemotherapy sessions.
Depression can often set in during the fight against cancer. It is very important to treat depression and lack of energy during a battle with cancer. Too often people ignore this part of the disease and focus on the physical symptoms.
Using acupuncture and oriental medicine calm and peace of mind can be achieved. The body is relaxed when undergoing acupuncture treatments. Certain pressure points connected to relaxation can be needled to help maintain a positive outlook.
Certain herbs may be prescribed as supplements. However it is important to talk to a doctor about any herbal supplements that you might be taking to make sure that these supplements do not adversely affect your other treatments. Most of the time you can safely take herbal supplements but it is always a good idea to consult your doctor.
Never rely fully on acupuncture and oriental medicine when dealing with cancer. It should be used as complementary treatment with conventional methods of treating cancer. Anyone who claims to be able to treat your cancer with only acupuncture and herbs is making fraudulent claims.
