Alternative therapies and cancer pain
Studies show that alternative treatments like acupuncture and massage can help relieve cancer pain:
“Patients and their doctors are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques, such as massage, acupuncture, and herbal supplements to relieve cancer pain in conjunction with medication. These treatments not only have fewer adverse side effects than conventional pain drugs, but they are actually very effective at relieving pain and anxiety in cancer patients, according to a review of current research in the August 2007 issue of Current Pain and Headache Reports.*
“Complementary therapies are generally safe, non-invasive, and free of toxicity,” explains one of the authors, Jyothirmai Gubili, Assistant Editor in the Integrative Medicine Service of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “They can be used along with standard pain management techniques to improve outcomes and reduce the need for pain medication.”
The study reviewed several popular CAM therapies:
Acupuncture
This staple of Chinese medicine has been practiced for more than 2,000 years, and recently it has caught on in the U.S. as an effective treatment for many painful conditions. Acupuncture stimulates pressure points in certain areas of the body, triggering the release of natural opoid painkillers. A 2003 study demonstrated that acupuncture of the ear significantly reduced the intensity of pain in cancer patients. Acupuncture also has been shown to relieve cancer-related nausea and fatigue.”
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