Complementary therapies treat the patient as a whole entity rather than treating a specific physical cause or symptom of disease as seen in conventional Western or ‘allopathic’ medicine.
Many cancer units and hospices in England and Wales now offer some CAM provision to their patients. A recent survey showed 70% of NHS hospitals use CAM in the management of cancer care, with relaxation and aromatherapy being the most commonly available.
What are complementary therapies?
Complementary therapies incorporate physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. In other words, they use an integrated holistic approach, as opposed to a targeted, specific approach. This fundamental difference means that they treat the whole patient and not just the illness.
Examples of complementary therapies include:
- Acupuncture
- Acupressure
- Aromatherapy
- Alexander Technique
- Flower remedies
- Herbal medicine
- Homeopathy
- Hypnotherapy
- Massage therapy
- Reflexology
- Shiatsu
- Visualisation
- Yoga
The central view which runs through all these disciplines is that they traditionally work towards the same goal, where harmony between all levels of consciousness (mental, emotional, spiritual and physical) must be achieved for true healing to happen.
What can complementary therapies do?
Your mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing are important components of your personal arsenal when coping with a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment and recovery. Proponents of complementary therapies believe that when these components are naturally balanced with the physical, the symptoms of illness can be controlled and the patient helped back to wholeness.
Used alongside conventional medical treatments, many complementary therapies can help you feel better by literally complementing your needs. They have a supportive role to play in sustaining the patient, helping you to relax and improving your overall wellbeing.
Some complementary therapies have value in specific cases. For example, there is now ample evidence that acupuncture can be used to reduce the nausea commonly associated with chemotherapy, without the additional side effect of drowsiness often associated with antiemetics. Many concentrate on relaxation, which is thought to be important in enhancing immune function. If so, learning to relax should be a significant tool in helping us to tackle illness and feel better.
As such, complementary therapies can be a valuable additional tool in helping to cope with the rigours of cancer treatment and the emotional rollercoaster that a cancer diagnosis can instigate. Alongside standard therapies endorsed by your doctor, they can be extremely effective in supporting and strengthening body, mind and spirit.
Each particular branch of complementary medicine has its own methodology and different therapies will appeal to different people. If you do choose to try a complementary therapy, make sure that you have all the information before making your decision. Take some time to find out what type would be most beneficial for your particular needs.
03/06/2009