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Living With Cutaneous Lymphoma
Integrative medicine is the methodology of integrating all aspects of care –
from traditional Western medicine modalities to acupuncture, homeopathy,
Chinese medicine, ayurvedic, yoga and more. Complementary and
alternative medicines are therapies that may assist patients in coping with
cancer, treatments, and side effects. Doctors do not recommend using
such therapies in place of traditional medical care. Some effective methods
to combat treatment side effects and ease tension, anxiety, and other
illness-induced emotions include meditation, yoga, acupuncture, exercise,
nutrition, and relaxation techniques.
TAKING CARE OF THE WHOLE PERSON:
BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT
Today, the definition of a cancer survivor has dramatically changed. The
Institute Of Medicine defines a survivor as: Any individual from the point
of their cancer diagnosis moving forward is a SURVIVOR. The goal is to
help individuals not only SURVIVE with their cancer but THRIVE in the
face of a life-limiting or life-threatening illness as long as possible.
Therefore, it is essential to decrease emotional stress and improve quality
of life. Patients and families are often so focused on “making it” through a
course of treatment that there is not much focus on other important aspects
of life. However, we cannot heal the body if the mind is muddled and the
spirit unfocused.
It is imperative to assess how a cancer diagnosis affects the “whole” person.
What happens to a patient on every level – physical, behavioral, emotional,
cognitive? Integrative medicine modalities can help achieve that ever-
important balance of mind-body wellness.
In 2007, the Institute of Medicine published a report entitled
Cancer Care
for the Whole Person: Addressing the Psychosocial Health Needs of Cancer
Patients
. This report reveals how important it is to ensure a person’s
psychosocial health, and the impact psychological well-being plays in the
course of cancer. Cancer doesn’t occur just to the patient; cancer affects
every member of a family.
Chapter 15
Integrative Medicine
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