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Cancer Recovery Enhancement Treatments For Clients With Or Recovering From Cancer

Writer's picture: Carmen ElizabethCarmen Elizabeth

Updated: Apr 30, 2024

Firstly we by no way imply that any of the treatments we offer will cure the disease; some of the therapies we are qualified in can assist in easing the side effects of treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and help with a client's overall feeling of well-being and self-esteem.


Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the WORLD  But survival rates are improving for many types of cancer, thanks to improvements in cancer screening and cancer recovery treatments.


Hands, nails and feet

Chemotherapy treatment can affect nails, making them brittle and cracked. Cuticles may become dry and sore. According to breastcancer.org, clients who have had lymph nodes under their arms removed during mastectomy or lumpectomy need to be particularly aware of nail care, as hangnails or cuts can lead to infection.

We offer you advice on natural nail, hand and foot care and use products that will not dry the nail plate further.



Skincare


Clients undergoing treatment for cancer may find that their skin becomes drier. We take this into account during facial treatments we help you restructure your facial routines to include cleansers, exfoliators and serums for sensitive skin.

We also recommend body moisturisers that can help keep skin supple.



Brow reconstruction

If your undergoing chemotherapy it's likely that you'll experience hair loss. The powerful drugs used to attack cancer cells also have the same effect on hair roots, and chemotherapy can cause hair loss on all areas of the body including eyebrows and lashes. At The Healing Cabin we can teach you skills to recreate beautiful eyebrows that frame your face giving you a new sense of confidence and wellbeing.


Massage treatments

Via their website, Cancer Research UK offer advice to cancer sufferers about the types of treatments that may be beneficial in helping them to cope with the pain, discomfort and fatigue associated with cancer treatments. Amongst these, massage is recommended. Vitally, they state: “Some people worry that having a massage when you have cancer may make the cancer cells travel to other parts of the body. But no research has proved this to be true.”



Signs and symptoms caused by cancer will vary depending on what part of the body is affected.


Some general signs and symptoms associated with, but not specific to cancer may include:

•Fatigue

•Lumps or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin

•Weight changes, including unintended loss or gain

•Skin changes, such as yellowing, darkening or redness of the skin, sores that won't heal, or changes to existing moles

•Changes in bowel or bladder habits

•Persistent cough or trouble breathing

•Difficulty swallowing

•Hoarseness

•Persistent indigestion or discomfort after eating

•Persistent, unexplained muscle or joint pain

•Persistent, unexplained fevers or night sweats.

During radiotherapy and chemotherapy

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can damage the qi and blood, essence and fluid, and the function of the five viscera and six bowels.


Common symptoms include fatigue, apocleisis, nausea, vomiting, and leucocyte decline. Local side effects include stigmata, loss of hair, mucosal erosion, ulcer, edema and hemorrhage. During radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment (TCM) can reduce toxic side effects, such as: myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions, hepatic or renal impairment, and skin and mucosa radiation injuries.


TCM can improve the clinical efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, guided by therapeutic principles of tonifying qi and producing blood, strengthening the spleen and stomach, nourishing the liver and kidney, and removing heat from blood and toxic material from the body. TCM combined with chemotherapy has shown a favorable effect in improving efficacy with less adverse reactions. This has been substantiated by the inclusion of TCM into the 6th–11th Five-Year Plans, as well as in meta-analyses by scholars in China and abroad. For instance, McCulloch et al. analyzed 34 randomized studies representing 2815 patients. 4 Twelve studies (n = 940 patients) reported a reduced risk of death at 12 months (risk ratio [RR] = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.87); 30 studies (n = 2472) reported improved tumor response data (RR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.46). As per Liu et al. Who enrolled 304 patients with stage III-IV adenocarcinoma lung cancer in their study and compared chemotherapy and TCM groups.12 The DCR of the TCM group was 67.83% versus 48.12% in the chemotherapy group (P < 0.01). Symptoms such as coughing, hemoptysis, chest pain, pyrexia, and anorexia were improved in the patients treated with TCM


For advanced cancer patients, elderly patients, or in those for whom radiotherapy and chemotherapy are unsuitable, TCM has its advantages. For example, with slight adverse reactions, TCM is said to help stabilize tumor lesions, improve symptoms, enhance the quality of life, and prolong survival time.


How Chinese Medicine Can Help Complement Cancer Recovery


It's no secret that the most common cancer treatments (chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation) are hard on the body. For now, we don’t have ways to effectively eradicate cancer cells without harming healthy tissue so we often have to use these powerful therapies to save patients’ lives.

Unfortunately these strong potent treatments often come with potent side effects. Common short-term side effects of chemotherapy are nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, hair loss, nerve damage, digestive disruption, and problems with cognitive function.


These all come as a result of damage to otherwise healthy tissue that is taking “friendly fire” as your cancer cells are targeted. Although our collective society is thankful that we have protocols for effectively treating many types of cancer, we have relatively little in the way of dealing with the side effects of the treatment. As the number of cancer cases and need for cancer treatments grow, we need ways to support the body in its recovery and regeneration of damaged tissue. As our loved ones fight the effects of cancer and chemo at the same time, they will need support and effective relief from the side effects so their quality of life does not drop below the point where many patients elect to not go through treatment.


Fortunately, this is where Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) thrives. TCM takes a different view of the body from modern western medicine and this different perspective can provide an important complement to current standards of care.


TCM practitioners view the body as a group of systems that are constantly shifting to balance each other out. If one system is relatively strong or weak compared to another system, symptoms arise.

By taking note of the pattern of symptoms that arise, a TCM practitioner can take steps to treat the imbalance in the body, thus alleviating the symptoms. This full body and mind focused approach is inherently different from the “disease focused” approach of western medicine, so it can massively and effectively treat different issues.


Research is ongoing, but is slowly catching up to prove what Traditional

Chinese Medicine practitioners have been seeing clinically for thousands of years that TCM principles and therapies can be used to safely and effectively reduce symptoms and speed up recovery from some major and chronic illnesses.


Chemotherapy induced nausea has probably been researched the most with results clearly showing that TCM Treatments are a safe, gentle and effective treatment method.


Our treatments have been shown to significantly improve oedema, physical and mental fatigue, decrease anxiety and depression and increase quality of life in cancer patients receiving chemo, radiotherapy and in recovery.


Several research studies have been done indicating that complementary therapies may be useful in modulating immune system function in chemotherapy patients as well, which would greatly aid in their ability to avoid contracting other illnesses while receiving chemotherapy.


Complementary TCM are typically not quick fixes, it can take time for the body to fully heal from chronic illness but from client feedback they certainly seem to rase side affects and aid comfort and aid the recovery process.


Patients often experience symptom relief after each session, which can be very helpful in dealing with the side effects of cancer-fighting therapies. In some cases, insurance covers sessions as well (call the number on the back of your insurance card to find out if they'll pay our invoice as a pain management clinic.


We are fortunate to live in a time when we have effective treatment options for a cancer diagnosis.


We as complementary practitioners hope that we can work with your medical team to continue to push what it means for a treatment to be “totally effective” to include a high quality of life during and after treatment and elimination of side effects whenever possible.


Carmen Elizabeth Holds a Diploma In Providing Therapies In Cancer Care And Life Limiting Conditions. She's Also A Licensed Acupuncturist, Kinaesthetic Optimum Recovery Enhancement Consultant / Musculoskeletal Specialist , Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Anatomy And Physiology Tutor Spiritual Teacher And Lifestyle Coach Based in the Cotgrave Village Nottingham NG12 3PS She her own private practice.


She regularly utilizes an integrative approach that includes Acupuncture, CBT, Kinaesthetic Optimum Recovery Enhancement, Fire cupping therapy, Cranial Sacral Balancing Stress Release, Chinese and Thai Medical Massage / Restriction Release, Spinal Alignment, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy Prescriptions, Reiki Sechiem Healing, Dietary counseling, Exercise Prescription , lifestyle changes in order to effectively treat health conditions causing pain & discomfort, digestive disorders, autoimmune conditions, and hormonal imbalances.


Full written treatment reports available at a cost of £50.


First Appointment 75 minutes £90


*In line with our code of conduct and best practice please obtain written permission from your consultant before booking to ensure the best recovery outcome.


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07392 378 826



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