Complimentary and Alternative medicine

Complementary/Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as defined by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy; Western, mainstream, orthodox, and regular medicine; and biomedicine. Some conventional medical practitioners are also practitioners of CAM.¹

Blogging/Journaling/support groups

Blogging or journaling is very therapeutic. It is a great way to express your thoughts and feelings. It is also is a way for your loved ones to stay updated with you. The beauty of it is that they are free and you can set the privacy on it. It can be used to monitor your progress. You can control who can read your blog. They are very easy to maintain although some choose to maintain a hand written journal. Blogging is a great way to meet others who are walking a similar path or who have walked a similar path via the comments section. More importantly, it is a way to reach out to someone going through a very intimating diagnosis. It is very interactive.

Here are great places to start

Blogger A free blog. Customize the appearance, set the privacy, and they give you your own website

Care pages Focuses on Blogs for patients and their loved ones.

It is also suggested to join a message board or discussion forum for a national organization. They contain some great information/advice contributed by your peers. Be careful though... what you read in there may scare you because of the "real" situations/problems. You don't have to post a message if you're uncomfortable, but the people who usually post in there are really friendly and knowledgeable. A word of advice though, double check any info you pick up with a health care professional before making any decisions

Spirituality/religion

A positive attitude/outlook is essential in the battle against cancer. Spiritually and religion provide an excellent framework for achieving a positive attitude.² There is no one ideal religion/belief system, but belief in a higher power is essential in the battle to strengthen your belief system. Many will blame a higher power, but for others it is a source of strength and resilience.

Exercise

Moderate intensity exercise such as walking has been shown to have many physical and psychological benefits in the battle against cancer.³

• increased functional capacity and VO2Max
• decreased body fat
• increased lean muscle mass
• decreased nausea and fatigue
• improved natural defense mechanisms
• improved sense of control
• improved mood
• improved self-esteem
• self reported improved quality of life

Staying active will not only have physical benefits, but can have many other benefits. Get your loved ones involved so everyone reaps the benefits of exercise. All it costs is a little time out of your day, but can be beneficial to those around you as well.

Diet

What you eat is your fuel. It is what keeps things running in your body. What you consume will affect how your body responds to “disturbances”. Your diet can also be used to fight a disturbing diagnosis such as cancer.⁴ There are many sources available on nutrition and healing or “mAss Kicking”

Eastern philosophy

Eastern Medicine is not a practice that is commonly used in the United States although it has been used for thousands of years. Because many of its techniques cannot be explained or are “natural”, Western society is quick to dismiss Eastern medicine practices as mysterious anomalies. While there have been individual cases that confirm the success of these practices, trying them as a compliment to traditional Western medicine (in most cases) will not hinder recovery. The use of herbal remedies should be discussed with a physician to determine if interactions with current medication are a concern.

Meditation is an excellent technique to reduce stress, decrease pain, and treat insomnia.⁵

Much of the Western research on acupuncture in cancer patient is geared towards symptom management associated with pain.⁶

Ayurveda describes that each person has physical and mental constitution. In other words everyone is born with a unique nature or personality. In order to maintain good health, it is important to maintain this “original” prakriti or nature. This is done by eating foods and performing activities that are in harmony with our nature. Thus a state of natural balance is maintained at physical, psychological and spiritual level. However, a disturbance in the state of natural balance leads to damages in the natural set of body even at the minute level including the genes.⁷

Ayurveda propounds the principle of natural living. This includes foods, environment, lifestyle, and the like. Modern life often violates principles of natural living. Artificial lights and air, processed and preserved food items, polluted environment, ingestion of chemicals in numerous ways, overworking physically as well as mentally, imperfect relations and negative emotions are opposite to Ayurveda’s principles of natural living.⁷

When used as an adjunct to traditional cancer treatments, herbal remedies can help to relieve some of the side effects of the treatments.⁸

POINTS TO PONDER

When considering complementary or alternative therapies, what questions should patients ask their health care providers? ⁹

• What benefits can be expected from this therapy?
• What are the risks associated with this therapy?
• Do the known benefits outweigh the risks?
• What side effects can be expected?
• Will the therapy interfere with conventional treatment?
• Is this therapy part of a clinical trial? If so, who is sponsoring the trial?
• Will the therapy be covered by health insurance?

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE IMPLMENTING A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY OR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PRACTICE!

Medical Disclaimer
This website is designed to provide additional information to patients and their loved ones when faced with intimidating diagnoses. A physician or medical professional should be consulted before making any health related decisions. We serve as a portal for information so that an informed and efficient decision can be concluded by all parties involved.  The creators of this site are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use (or misuse) of information contained in or implied by the content of this website. The purpose of the mAss Kickers is to empower people with knowledge, not to specifically advise people how to address each unique situation.

References

1. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/therapy/CAM
2. http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Cancer-Weekly/2005-08-02/080220053331CW.html
3. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/exercisephysiology/a/aa090501a.htm
4. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_3_2X_Common_Questions_About_Diet_and_Cancer.asp
5. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ETO/content/ETO_5_3X_Meditation.asp
6. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/acupuncture/healthprofessional/allpages
7. http://www.naturalhealthweb.com/articles/chauhan1.html
8. http://www.herbsforcancer.com/cancer.html
9. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cam-cancer-treatment/patient/43.cdr#Section_43