There is a big difference between Traditional Treatment,
Complimentary
Treatment and Alternative Medicine. This is about Complimentary Treatment
that goes along side Traditional Medicine.
Some of these might resonate with you. Others might be “Too
far, Lady.” Try the ones that feel right and scroll past the ones that don’t
rock your world. Everyone is going to be different.
None of these should take the place of traditional cancer
treatment. When I walked into my acupuncturist and saw the crystals she laid
out on the table next to the sound machine, I asked if those were going to cure
me. She side-eyed glanced at me to see if I was serious and said, “Chemotherapy,
radiation and surgery are going to eradicate your tumor. What I do is alleviate
the symptoms of those treatments.” I nodded my head. “Right answer,” I said.
Here is a list of things that I used or other people used that they found beneficial:
Yoga –There are dozens, if not thousands, of
YouTube videos whose poses deal directly with stress and anxiety. My favorite
is Yoga
With Adrienne.
Acupuncture - Yes, more needles, but hear me
out. The needles do not hurt! This practice has been around for thousands of
years and, strategically
placed, they alleviate symptoms. A teeny tiny needle between the eyebrows
alleviates anxiety. A needle in the fleshy part of between your thumb and
forefinger alleviates nausea. Go in with an open mind and comfy clothes. It may
surprise you.
Acupressure – Not ready for needles? Try
acupressure instead. It is the same concept, but without the
needles. I found Healthline to
have amazing information about this (plus pictures because I have no idea where
my LI4 He Gu is).
Mindfulness - Deep, intentional breathing takes
the focus off your fears. You are in complete control of your breath and it has
a calming effect. There are dozens of videos, apps and more that help with
this. My favorites happen to be from my daughter’s Welsh University,
Bangor University.
Reiki - Reiki is an energy that
uses gentle hand movements through the client's body to reduce stress and
promote healing. Some cancer centers have a person who will come through the
infusion center and do this during your treatment.
Physical Therapy – Movement of any type can be
beneficial. Targeted
movement by a trained professional goes straight to the source. I had
a weird IT hip pain from treatment that would not go away. Once diagnosed and
sent to PT, we found I had zero strength in my legs. Once we targeted that
area, I was able to get the pain under control.
Massage/Lymphatic Drainage Massage – If there
was one think I would recommend,
this would be in the top three. I didn’t have the traditional Lymphedema. I
managed to get something not as common, Truncal Lymphedema. To start, find a
Physical Therapist trained in Lymphatic Drainage Massage. They will not only
perform it on you, they will teach you how to self-massage. Basically it is a
very light pulling of the skin in the direction of your lymph nodes, starting
closest to the lymph nodes. This moves your lymphatic system along and reduces
swelling. There are many videos to
self-massage, but my recommendation is to find a pro first.
Dry Brushing – Dry brushing is another version
of lymphatic drainage massage. It uses the same concept, but with a soft
bristle brush and sometimes oils. While they say to dry brush for
15-20 minutes prior to bathing, I found just a few minutes while the water
warms up to be beneficial.
Physical Movement – This is going to look a lot
different than prior to cancer. Before cancer I went to the gym three to four
times a week and lifted weights. After cancer I walked/wandered for 15 minutes
in my backyard several times a day and only twice touched weights. While lying
on the couch felt sooooo good, getting up and moving had its place. It also
broke up the day and, because I was active, helped me sleep at
night.
Nutrition – This one is tricky because your
taste buds change. Oddly enough (and I thought this was just me until a
coworker had the same thing happen to them) your taste buds change even before
treatment happens! Your body will crave some foods and get nauseous at the thought
of some foods. Go with the flow. When your taste buds flee the land because of
chemotherapy, try new things (don’t eat things you love – it will be fraught
with disappointment). Most cancer
centers have a nutritionist available.
Crystals – Crystals are also called Earth
Stones because are said to help to relieve specific ailments such as
anxiety, depression and insomnia, or more physical ailments such as digestive
problems. Some are even said to dissipate the EMF from all the scans
associated with cancer.
Herbs – Herbs are not new. They are thousands of
years old and many of the medications we use today are a derivative of a plant
(Taxotere, a common breast cancer drug is from the bark of a Yew Tree).
We know that drinking peppermint tea is good for calming the stomach. A
little bit of research will point out many more.
Music/Sound Therapy – We all know that feeling
when a song comes on the radio and it either uplifts us or sends us crashing.
Having a soundtrack of uplifting songs can ease anxiety, depression and lower
blood pressure (among a ton more benefits). I was able to fit ear buds under my
Paxman cold cap during my hours of chemotherapy infusion. Not only did it make
me feel better, but it helped me drown out the noise of the center (especially
the beep-beep-beep of the empty chemo bag). Another complimentary treatment
is vibration healing.
This relies on different sound frequencies to change your mood.
Tai Chi/Qi Gong – Both of these are movement
based. Both combine
meditation, slow, deliberate movement and intentional breathing. Because they
are slow, they are low impact and perfect when you know your body needs
to move, but you don’t want to go all crazy.
Journaling/Art – As a writer anyway, I found
that putting things on paper or
on a computer, I was able to acknowledge what was going on. Whether it was fear
or uncertainty or happiness from results of a scan, I had an audience (even if
the audience was just me). I found CaringBrige to
be a world of help, not only in getting the words out, but as a form of
communication to others. One benefit of this five years out from diagnosis, I
read what I wrote back then and realize what all I went through – and that I
made it out! While I don’t paint or draw, your future you will appreciate the
expression of art during tough times.
I found a plethora of excellent websites to help navigate my
way through some of the less common complimentary therapies.