Thousands of people all over the world
suffer daily from cancer. As technology improves, medical advances are made to
prolong the life of cancer patients at all costs. Treatments such as
chemotherapy and radiology have become increasingly accepted as the normal care
for cancer. While technology concentrates on treating the cancer and remedying
the scientific effects that it has on the human body, research on alternative
medicine is finding ways and remedies to treat the patient. Often traditional
doctors will prescribe any form of treatment to help eliminate the cancer at
all costs, no matter what the side effect may be. Alternative medicine not only
treats the cancer, but it helps the mind, body, and spirit of the person
suffering from cancer.
An important element in the fight against
cancer is an improved quality of life. An enhanced quality of life is being
able to actively participate in everyday as well as out of the ordinary
activities with minimal pain and suffering. Patients with a positive quality of
life are much more able to successfully cope with the harsh realities that
accompany cancer. Alternative therapies help to aide in enhancing the quality
of life for cancer patients.
There are numerous alternative therapies
available, some of which include: herbal medicines, acupuncture, and healing
techniques using the power of the mind. The administration of these techniques
will provide cancer patients with another choice as to how he or she wants to
deal with the cancer. When coupled with daily doses of medication, alternative
forms of healing offer an enhanced quality of life for patients suffering from
cancer.
For patients suffering from cancer, it is
almost impossible to live a productive life without the use of regular
medication. Prescription drugs are often capable of causing more discomfort to
the patient then actually doing them any good. Alternative healing through the
administration of herbal medicine provides relief form some of the
uncomfortable factors, such as nausea, that cancer patients have to deal with,
as well as providing a boost to the immune system, while reducing the risk of
side effects that would be caused by their pharmaceutical counterparts.
There are many known herbal medicines that
remedy nausea, but ginger is known to be the most effective. The effective
ingredients in ginger are found in the root or “rhizome”. A study was conducted
in 32 women, experiencing severe nausea were “assigned to receive…250 mg of
ginger…four times daily for four days” (www.ahealthyme.com).
As a result, “Twenty-eight of the 32 ginger treated patients had improvement in
symptoms” (www.ahealthyme.com). Nausea
is a major struggle for cancer patients. The study shows that ginger is a safe
and healthy alternative to over the counter medicines. The ability to relieve
the cancer patient of the plague of nausea, even if it is just for a couple of
hours, will drastically enhances the quality of life for those patients. Due to
the natural properties of ginger, patients are more inclined to try it because
it will not “pollute” the body like many other synthetic drugs. Natural
medicine also gives the patient a feeling of beating the system by allowing
them to reach outside the boundaries of traditional medical practices. The
feeling of control helps boost the spirits and, as a result, improves the
patient quality of life.
Herbal medicines such as garlic, ginseng,
and Echinacea are also effective in boosting the immune system in cancer
patients. Research shows that garlic “stimulates the body’s immune system,
boosting the killing ability of natural of natural killer cells and increasing
microphage activity” (http://ephnet1.niehs.nih.gov).
With a boosted immune system, the body is energized and better equipped to
fight any infection or virus that the cancer may have acquired. Garlic has even
been found to help fight the cancer itself. For example, female rats with
mammary tumors were given dietary garlic and “found that dietary garlic
administered in powder form caused significant delays in the onset of first
mammary tumors and reduced the final number of tumors” (http://ephnet1.niehs.nih.gov). This is
what all cancer patients hope and long for. By taking this alternative
medicine, they are taking an active role in helping their bodies fight off
cancer. This gives the patient hope, and according to David Simon, M.D.,
medical director from the Chopra Center for Well-being, “Hope is an essential
aspect of life” (Simon, 240). Hope is one of the most important keys to
enhancing the quality of life for someone who is suffering from cancer.
Ginseng not only helps boost the immune
system, but also more importantly is responsible for reducing stress and
treating depression. Ginseng works by strengthening “the hormonal
system…and…regulating hormone levels and other biological functions” (Hobbs,
25). It is only natural that patients dealing with cancer are prone to high
levels of stress. Their stressed state often leads to depression (Simon, 32).
Through the use of ginseng the patient gains a renewed spirit and the ability
to function without stress. “Ginseng has long been a popular remedy in Eastern
medicine; … and is used as a mood enhancer, stress reducer, and aphrodisiac” (http://ephnet1.niehs.nih.gov). Ginseng
is a healthy and safe way for cancer patients to get a little boost from nature
to make the process of healing a little easier.
Echinacea is another immune system
booster. Echinacea is an herbal supplement “designed to bolster our natural
defenses against infectious agents, as well as cancer” (Carper, 108). With a
boosted immune system, most cancer patients are better equipped to deal with
onsets of other medical complications. This gives most patients confidence,
which aides in enhancing his or her quality of life.
The use of natural herbal remedies in safe
doses is a pure and healthy way for cancer patients to help his or herself
improve their quality of life. Herbal medicines do not contain the negative
associations that often accompany prescriptions drugs. This reduces anxiety and
effectively enhances the quality of life for cancer patients.
Another alternative form of healing is acupuncture, which helps to
relieve the “all-consuming” (Siegel, 174) chronic pain that often causes the
migraine headaches that cancer patients usually experience, therefore enhancing
the quality of life. Although acupuncture has not been proven to directly fight
cancer, this form of alternative healing is an effective technique to remedy
side affects that the cancer will cause.
During the acupuncture treatment, needles
are stuck in specific parts of the body in order to “stimulate the flow of
healing energy” (Stewart, 89). Modern acupuncture is a slightly modified form
of the ancient Chinese medicine practices that have been administered for
centuries in China and other eastern countries. “ The ancient Chinese believed
that the body has various channels, through which Ch’i flows” (Stewart, 88).
Ch’i is the “energy flow” which the body uses to heal itself. The human body has been carefully mapped out,
and a trained doctor can easily locate the spots for pain and headaches. Many
people become anxious at the thought of the needles, but according to a doctor
in Chicago, “I’ve never had anyone complain of pain or discomfort from
acupuncture treatment” (Stewart, 93). Acupuncture is an appropriate alternative
remedy for cancer patients, because it does not inject any chemicals into the
body that could cause a negative reaction.
When having the acupuncture treatment, the
patient will experience “a tingling feeling, usually followed by relief from
any pain they had been suffering” (Stewart, 92). The ability to become relieved
of the pain without the possible side effects form prescription drugs is a
miracle in itself for patients suffering from cancer. Acupuncture does not
treat the cancer, it treats symptoms related to and caused by the cancer
eliminating or even lessening the pain. This ultimately enhances the quality of
life for the patients. Even though acupuncture is still undergoing extensive
studies, it has been proven in one article that “of 24 studies found that the
typical clinical trial showed a 70 percent efficacy” (Murray, 89). This highly
effective treatment provides a safe way for cancer patients to rid their bodies
of the pain that plagues them. Due to the pain reduction, cancer patients are
able to live a healthier life. As a result, most patients are able to engage in
the simple every day activities free of pain and pain-related anxiety.
Acupuncture is an effective alternative
source of healing for patients suffering from cancer because it offers a painless
procedure for getting rid of chronic pain and migraine headaches. It does this
without the administration of potentially harmful medication, therefore
reducing the risk of side effects. Due to this fact the patient is able to
undergo treatment with minimal stress. This stimulates a positive attitude and
allows for a greatly enhanced quality of life.
The mind is a very powerful tool when dealing with the healing
process. Often, patients suffering from cancer will unconsciously let their
mind lapse into a negative mode, which deters the healing process, therefore
taking away from their quality of life. The ability to condition the mind to
maintain a positive outlook while strengthening its ability to control the body
not only enhances the quality of life for cancer patients, but enables them to
live longer. Conditioning the mind through support groups, self-hypnosis, and
biofeedback will drastically improve the patient’s outlook on their disease
that in effect will enhance their quality of life.
Support groups allow cancer patients to
condition their mind by finding their own reason for living through listening,
sharing, and interacting with people in their same condition. For example,
doctor David Spiegel, M.D. conducted an experiment in which eighty-six women
suffering from breast cancer were randomly separated into two groups. Each
group received the same traditional medical care prescribed for cancer
patients, i.e. radiation, chemotherapy, and medication, although the second
group met religiously once a week in a support session (Moyers, 68). The data
concluded that the women who attended the support groups, “reported less
depression, anxiety, and pain than those in the other group” (Moyers, 68).
Support groups condition the mind by allowing the patients to release any
negative energy, which would otherwise be detrimental to the healing process.
Support groups teach the patients how to clear their minds and focus their
energy on finding their motivation for living. This, in effect, improves their
quality of life. In addition, Spiegel’s study showed that “those who took part
in the group psychotherapy had lived twice as long…as the group that received
only standard medical care” (Moyers, 68). Support groups condition the mind to
accept the condition of the patient, allow the patient to express their
feelings, and encourage the patient to rely on others for guidance. Support
groups permit patients to practice communicating their thoughts and feelings
with a conditioned mind. The group leaders, as well as the other patients, are
the coaches who provide instruction and encouragement. After regularly
attending support groups, the mind of cancer patients is like a well trained
solider, fully prepared to fight in a battle for life. With a clear, able mind
and a renewed spirit, patients are better equipped handle the bends in the road
to recovery.
In addition to support groups, the skill
of self-hypnosis enables the cancer patient to focus his or her mind on
something other than the disease in order to reduce the feeling of pain that
accompanies cancer. For example, to get rid of pain, the patient focuses on
something else, removing the sensation of pain from their thoughts and
therefore out of their feeling. Dr. Spiegel also tested self-hypnosis in a controlled
environment using patients with breast cancer. The results conclude “over the
initial year, women in the control group sample reported that their pain had
doubled- from two to four on a ten point scale. But the group that was trained
in self-hypnosis reported a slight decrease in pain, so that by the end of the
year their average pain ratings were less than two” (Moyers, 159). By
conditioning the mind to relieve the body of pain, self-hypnosis directly
enhances the quality of life for the patient dealing with cancer. Dr. Spiegel
further concludes that one has to “pay attention to pain for it to hurt. You
can lessen the pain by…turning up the attention you pay to other signals in
your body or other thoughts or images” (Moyers, 159). Self-hypnosis gives the
patient an active role in the healing process, which makes them feel like they
are doing something productive to help themselves instead of waiting for help
for other sources. This provides the patient with a feeling of accomplishment
and self-worth that brightens their attitude and improves their quality of
life.
Furthermore, conditioning the mind through
biofeedback enables the patient to take control of a situation that is
otherwise out of their control. When a person is faced with the reality that
they have to live with cancer for what might become the rest of their life, it
is easy to lose hope, because one thinks that the situation is completely out
of their control. “Biofeedback directs or manipulates physiological responses
which we normally allow to proceed at their own pace” (Rosenfield, 263). With
biofeedback, the mind can be trained to control how the body reacts to certain
situations. For example, if the cancer
patient is suffering from nausea due to a medication, he or she can be trained
to concentrate on the nausea, then eliminate it from his or her body. This
enables the patients to get relief and resume a feeling of normality. The
difference between self-hypnosis and biofeedback is that during biofeedback the
patient is making a conscious effort to rid the body of the ailment, rather
than focusing on something outside the body. Biofeedback gives the patient a
greater feeling of control because the patient recognizes what is making him or
her uncomfortable, and then conquering it through the power of the conditioned
mind. Biofeedback is a healing technique designed so that “your wish is your
brain’s command” (Rosenfield, 263). The feeling of control adds to their
quality of life while empowering the cancer patients to continue living.
Conditioning the mind clearly enhances the
quality of life for the cancer patients. Actively participating in the
conditioning process gives the patients satisfaction and motivation for further
improvement. Involvement in the healing process keeps their mind off the cancer
and on a more positive outlook. Releasing the negative energy and harnessing
the positive energy is the key to enhancing the quality of life for patients
suffering from cancer.
As technology continues to produce greater
advancements in the treatment of cancer, alternative therapies will continue to
provide the patient the care he or she needs to maintain an enhanced quality of
life. Even though many of these techniques have been around for centuries, they
are just recently becoming widely accepted. With an improved quality of life,
most cancer patients are able to face their difficulties with a positive and
renewed spirit. It is unclear to the
world whether a cure for cancer will ever be discovered, but one thing is for
sure, as long as people are able to grow natural herbs, and use the healing
powers of the mind, cancer patients will have the opportunities of living a
life of enhanced quality.
Outline
Thesis: When coupled with daily doses of medication, alternative
forms of healing offer an enhanced quality of life for patients suffering from
cancer.
I.
For patients suffering from
cancer, it is almost impossible to live a productive life without the use of
regular medication.
A.
There are many herbal medicines
that remedy nausea, but ginger is known as the most effective.
B.
Herbal medicines such as
garlic, ginseng, and Echinacea are also effective in boosting the immune system
in cancer patients.
1.
Garlic
2.
Ginseng
3.
Echinacea
II.
Another alternative form of
healing is acupuncture, which helps to relieve “all consuming” (Siegel, 174)
chronic pain that often causes migraine headaches; an ailment that cancer
patients often suffer from, therefore enhancing his or her quality of life.
A.
An explanation of the process
of acupuncture
B.
An explanation of what the
patient goes through when undergoing acupuncture
III.
The mind is another very
important tool when dealing with the healing process.
A.
Support groups
B.
Self- hypnosis
C.
Biofeedback
Works Cited
1. A Healthy Me. 15. Nov. 2001. Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. 10 Feb. 2002.< http://ahealthyme.com/article/bellhowell/101529970.html>
2. Carper, Jean. Miracle Cures: Dramatic New
Scientific Discoveries Revealing the Healing Powers of Herbs, Vitamins, and
Other Natural Remedies. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,1997
3. Hobbs, Christopher. The Ginsengs: A User’s Guide.
Santa Cruz: Botanica Press, 1996
4. Moyers, Bill. Healing and The Mind. New
York: Doubleday, 1979
5. Murray, Michael T., N.D., and Joseph E. Pizzorno,
N.D. An Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Rocklin: Prima Publishing,
1993
6. “NIEHS NEWS.” Medical Herbs:
NTP Extracts the Facts. 29 Nov. 1999.10 Feb. 2002. <http://enpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1999/107-12/niehsnews.html>
7. Rosenfield, Isadore, M.D. Dr.
Rosenfield’s Guide to Alternative Medicine: What Works, What Doesn’t-And What’s
Right For You. New York: Random House, 1996
8. Siegel, Bernie S., M.D. Love,
Medicine, and Miracles: Lessons Learned About Self-Healing From A Surgeon’s
Experience With Exceptional Patients. New York: Harper & Row
Publishers, 1986
9. Siegel, Mary-Ellen, M.S.W. The
Cancer Patient’s Handbook: Everything You Need to Know About Today’s Care and
Treatment. New York: Walker and Company, 1986
10. Simon, David, M.D. Return to
Wholeness: Embracing Body, Mind, and Spirit in the Face of Cancer. New
York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1999
11. Stewart, Gail. Alternative
Healing: Opposing Views. Great Mysteries. San Diego: Greenhaven Press,
Inc., 1990
Alternative Therapies
For Cancer Patients
Michelle Cotter
March 1, 2002
English Teacher: Ms. Clyde
Content Aide: Ms. Bowmen
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