| Cancer Care Plus Who is seeking acupuncture support? Studies show that as many as 70% of patients being treated for cancer seek complementary medicine support for their treatment and recovery. Many people turn first to acupuncture, and for good reason. Why acupuncture care for cancer patients? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) , the World Health Organization (WHO) , and the American Cancer Society all now recognize the helpful role acupuncture plays in supporting cancer patients. What the experts say: "Studies of both acupuncture and electroacupuncture show that the techniques can be effective for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced acute nausea and produce few or no side effects." Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, 1994 National Institutes of Health, (NIH) What our patients say: "Chemotherapy gave me a sore mouth, acid reflux, lots of headaches and at least 4 days of not feeling well. I was tired, it was hard to eat because of the dry mouth and sores, and I was often weepy which partially came from the steroids I had to take after therapy for 4 successive days. Initially I went for acupuncture the day I started to feel bad. For the 5th treatment I decided to go the day after chemo and before I felt bad. Early treatment made a world of difference in the way I felt after chemo 5 and 6. Instead of having a long recovery time as everyone predicted, I sailed through those treatments as opposed to my first 4. The acupuncture also enabled me to cut back on my steroid medication which I think also helped with my well-being. Instead of 4 pills, I took 2 for treatment #5 and 1 for treatment #6 without any nausea. My mouth was still dry but didn't get sore, the acid reflux was greatly reduced, the headaches were gone and I didn't really have any "down" days as I had from the earlier treatments." - Nancy, Silver Spring What we see every day: Patients often come into the clinic looking pale and anxious. Virtually everyone leaves feeling better, with healthy color in their cheeks and a brighter outlook. Many patients also find that regular acupuncture care reduces the stress and anxiety associated with their cancer experience. Cancer Care Support Resources: Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts Support services for cancer patients and their care-givers. Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization Reading list and local resources in the National Capital Area. Alternative Medicine Foundation Complementary and alternative therapy readings and resources. Center for Mind-Body Medicine Integrative approaches to cancer care for patients and physicians. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Cancer survivor advocacy, tools and resource guide. |
