COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES FOR CANCER

Complementary Therapies are cost effective and improve the confidence levels of the patients and their relatives and enable them to fight the disease with a better frame of mind. The motivation for seeking Complementary Treatment more often appears to be fear and uncertainty rather than belief in the efficacy of the treatment. For many patients the use of Complementary Therapies represents a means of dealing with the anxiety and stress surrounding their disease. With the kind of positive results that AMC Trust has been getting over the past few years, the immediate need of the Trust is to embark upon a major validation programme of combination therapies carried out in a clinical fashion with internationally approved protocols. Depending upon the type of cancer and the patient's needs, the Trust would offer Complementary therapy along with the conventional radio-/chemo therapies or after the patient has gone through a complete course of conventional treatment. One of the following Complementary Therapies -Yogic therapy plus Homeopathy, Yogic Therapy plus Ayurveda, Yogic Therapy plus Siddha, Yogic Therapy plus Acupressure, will be offered to the patient. If the patient cannot afford the cost of conventional treatments, depending upon his / her faith and willingness to undergo Complementary Therapies. Complementary Therapies treatment can be offered immediately.

Do you know that the complementary therapies are

Far less damaging

Far less invasive

Far more cost-effective

Far more pleasant

Far more manageable

  - than conventional therapies?                                                                         

HOMEOPATHY Homeopathy is derived from Greek words "Homoeos" = Like or Similar; and "Pathos" = disease or suffering, which means 'Likes cure Likes'. The efficacy of homeopathy drugs is well established in almost all the ailments including those which are a challenge to the modern medicine such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cancer (Malignancies of various origins), Diabetes Mellitus, etc. Most importantly since homeopathic medicines are in dilutions the side effects are greatly minimized. Hence this system is perfect in ailments of infants and children.

The effects or the medicinal values of the drugs are determined by drug Proving. The homeopathic drugs are derived from various sources. A good remedy removes the disease from its roots and leaves no trace of the disease behind. Individual constitution is given prime importance in homeopathy because no two individuals are alike. Hence we have one drug per individual. This path thus becomes unique and more accurate. Case taking is the most vital part prior to treatment wherein the Doctors analyze the mental symptoms along with the physical symptoms. There is a concept of Vital force and Miasmas that determine the health status of the patient and his future health condition, which are again unique to the principle of this path.
   

AYURVEDA Over the years scientists have been trying hard to find a cure for cancer, which is incurable and fatal unless detected in its early stage. Modern researchers say cancer treatment will gradually improve and perhaps in another 30 years we may have something that works for several cancers. Since cancer panacea is a long way off according to modern scientists, it is high time we explore the remedies described in other medical systems, especially yoga and nutrition.

Ayurveda describes that each person has a physical and a mental constitution. In other words everyone is born with a unique nature or a unique personality. In order to maintain good health, it is important to maintain this "original" prakriti or nature. This is done by eating foods and performing activities that are in harmony with our nature. Thus a state of natural balance is maintained at physical, psychological and spiritual levels. However, a disturbance in the state of natural balance leads to damages in the natural set of body even at the minute level including the genes.
 
Ayurveda propounds the principle of natural living. This includes food, environment, lifestyle, and the like. Modern life often violates principles of natural living. Artificial lights and air, processed and preserved food items, polluted environment, ingestion of chemicals in numerous ways, overworking physically as well as mentally, imperfect relations and negative emotions negate Ayurveda's principles of natural living.
 
Ayurveda describes that in cancer, the blood becomes impure due to aggravation of one or more dosha. This impurity of the blood is actually related to the subtle part of blood (rakta dhatu), and is not detected by physical tests. The dosha may get aggravated due to a number of factors including improper food and lifestyle. Smoking, chewing tobacco, breathing in chemical fumes or eating foods and fruits that have been heavily processed with chemical during cultivation also aggravate dosha in the body.

Although cancer is a difficult disease, Ayurveda can offer a lot of support and comfort to the patients through its natural treatments.

 

ACUPRESSURE This therapy involves pressing points on the body with fingers or hands to alter the internal flow of a supposed vital force or energy called chi (pronounced "chee"), strengthening it, calming it and removing a blockage of the flow. Acupressure is one of the treatment methods regularly used in traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM, a system of health care that originated in China thousands of years ago and is still widely practiced in Asian countries today.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine acupressure points are aligned along 14 bodily meridians, or pathways. Twelve of the meridians are bilateral; that is, identical versions of them (with the same sets of points) exist on both sides of the body. The other two are unilateral, running along the midline of the body. The 14 meridians do not correspond to any known physiological processes or anatomical structures in the body, such as nerves or blood vessels. Nevertheless, some well-controlled studies suggest that acupressure can be effective for a number of health problems, including nausea, pain and stroke-related weakness. A single point may be pressed for relief from a particular symptom or condition; or to promote overall well-being of the body, a series of points can be worked on in a specific order.

Acupressure Points
 
Acupressure can be administered by someone trained in the technique or it may be practiced at home. The force used on different points varies, but in general, most points call for a steady, downward pressure lasting one to two minutes. If you are applying pressure to a point several times in succession, complete this process on one side of the body before switching to the other side.

The risks of acupressure are minimal, provided certain cautions are observed. During pregnancy, the points designated Spleen 6 and Large Intestine 4 should never be used; avoid the abdominal area entirely, if possible. Never apply pressure to open wounds, varicose veins, tumors, inflamed or infected skin, sites of recent surgery, or areas where a broken bone is suspected.

SIDDHA Often considered as a branch of Ayurveda, Siddha is an ancient Indian system of medicine, mainly practiced in the state of Tamil Nadu in south India, which is based on herbs and roots of plants. Many plants, which are considered poisonous, are also used in treating specific ailments.

The Siddha system of medicine may be classified into three parts:

Herbal processes are always recommended with the other two parts. If there is any unwanted material or any toxicity available with the other two processes, herbal processes eradicate them and act as the adjuvant drug to the major drug and minimize the severity of the concerned disease in a short period without any side effects. But at the same time, diet restrictions are also instructed according to the disease.

UNANI According to the principles and philosophy of Unani Medicine, disease is a natural process, its symptoms are the reactions of the body to the disease, and the chief function of the physician is to aid the natural forces of the body. Unani Medicine is basically based on Humoral theory.

According to Unani, cancer is essentially a disease of the black bile humor. That is, it means that all four of the humors are out of balance. Ripening, purging, and rebalancing of each of the four humors in turn are required for a cure to take place. This is not an easy procedure, because the superfluous and toxic by-products are constantly being emitted, and since the last humor that is out in the chain must usually be treated first. This means that one must try to treat the black bile humor first.
 
Cancer will be eliminated only when people return to a more balanced, natural lifestyle, and keep the body, mind, and spirit free from impurities.
 
ACUPUNCTURE
 
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique for manipulating chi (chi or qi) in order to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang. Chi, an alleged "energy" which permeates all things, is believed to flow through the body along 14 main pathways called meridians. When yin and yang are in harmony, chi flows freely within the body and a person is healthy. When a person is sick, diseased, or injured it is believed that there is an obstruction of chi along one of the meridians. Acupuncture consists of inserting needles through particular points on the body, allegedly removing unhealthy obstructions of chi and thereby restoring the distribution of yin and yang. Sometimes the needles are twirled, heated, or even stimulated with weak electrical current, ultrasound or certain wavelengths of light. But no matter how it is done, scientific research over the past twenty years has failed to demonstrate that acupuncture is effective against any disease.
 
A variation of traditional acupuncture is called auriculotherapy or ear acupuncture. It is a method of diagnosis and treatment based on the unsubstantiated belief that the ear is the map of the bodily organs. A problem with an organ such as the liver is to be treated by sticking a needle into a certain point on the ear which is supposed to be the corresponding points for that organ. Similar notions about a part of the body being an organ map are held by iridologists (the iris is the map of the body) and reflexologists (the foot is the map of the body). A variation of auriculotherapy is staplepuncture, a method of treatment which puts staples at key points on the ear hoping to do such wonderful things as help people stop smoking.
  
Acupuncture has been used in China for more than 4,000 years to alleviate pain and cure disease. Traditional Chinese medicine is not based upon knowledge of modern physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, anatomy or any of the known mechanisms of healing. Nor is it based on knowledge of cell chemistry, blood circulation, nerve function, or the existence of hormones or other biochemical substances. There is no correlation between the meridians used in traditional Chinese medicine and the actual layout of the organs and nerves in the human body.
 
Despite lack of scientific support, acupuncture is used in the treatment of depression, allergies, asthma, arthritis, bladder and kidney problems, constipation, diarrhea, colds, flu, bronchitis, dizziness, smoking, fatigue, gynecologic disorders, headaches, migraines, paralysis, high blood pressure, PMS, sciatica, sexual dysfunction, stress, stroke, tendonitis and vision problems.
 
PRANIC HEALING
 
Pranic healing is an energy healing technique based on the overall structure of the human body. According to the precepts of pranic healing, our body is actually composed of two parts: the visible physical body, and the invisible energy body called the bioplasmic body or aura. The visible physical body is that part of the human body that we see, touch, and are most acquainted with. Our aura is that invisible luminous energy body, which interpenetrates the visible physical body and extends beyond it.

Pranic healing is an ancient science and art of healing that utilizes prana (or chi/qi/ki) or life energy and the chakras or energy centers to heal diseased energy levels. The healing process involves the manipulation of the patient's chakras, ki and aura. It has also been called medical qigong (ki kung or ki healing), psychic healing, vitalic healing, therapeutic touch, laying of the hand, magnetic healing, faith healing, and charismatic healing.
 
Laws of Pranic Healing
 
Pranic healing is based on two laws: The law of self-recovery and the law of prana or life energy. It is through these basic laws that rapid or miraculous healing occurs.

1. Law of Self-Recovery:
 
In general, the body is capable of healing itself at a certain rate. If a person has a wound or burn, the body will heal itself and recover within a few days to a week. In other words, even if you do not apply antibiotic on the wound or burn, the body will repair or heal itself. At the present moment, there is no medicine available for the treatment of viral infection. But even if a person has cough or cold due to viral infection, the body will recover generally in one or two weeks without medication.

2. Law of Life Energy:
 
For life to exist, the body must have prana, chi or life energy. The healing process can be accelerated by increasing life energy on the affected part(s) and on the entire body.

Benefits of Complementary Therapies are: