Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are not Alternative medicine, but are Complementary medicine. It does not have to be an “either-or” proposition. Often the best approach is the best from both worlds. A great example of this is in the treatment of Cancer.
Of course, prevention is the best approach to all disease, including cancer. Chinese doctors have studied disease for millenia and have developed a lot of suggestions for adjusting our diet, lifestyle, and attitudes to promote heath and prevent disease. At the Tiffani Kim Institute, all our acupuncturists go over these suggestions with all our patients.
But if, heaven forbid, you do develop cancer, we can still help. The first thing that the National Institute of Health determined that acupuncture was effective in treating was Chemotherapy-induced nausea (97% effective). Since then, we have found that acupuncture can reduce or eliminate all the side effects of chemo and radiation. Patients who have acupuncture in conjunction with traditional, Western care have fewer side effects, greater quality of life, greater survival rates and greater survival times. This should be a part of everyone's comprehensive cancer care.
Chemotherapy and radiation are our best tools to kill cancer; but they have horrible side-effects. Sometimes the side-effects can become too severe and the patient has to take a break from treatment. This gives the patient a break but it also gives the tumor a break. The best results are obtained when patients can adhere to their prescribed course of treatment. Acupuncture helps make this possible.
The most common side-effect of chemotherapy is Nausea. Almost 100% of patients who receive chemo will experience nausea. With nausea comes poor appetite, which causes fatigue and malnutrition. Not only are you feeling poorly, but you will have less energy to fight the cancer and other infections. Acupuncture reduces the nausea so patients can eat better, feel better, and have more energy to enjoy their lives and fight the cancer.
Another side-effect is Neuropathy. This literally means “nerve disease” and occurs because the toxic chemotherapy pools in the feet and fingers and damages the nerves. This can cause pain, numbness, and tingling and can last for years after the cessation of treatment. Acupuncture can help calm inflamed nerves and help repair damaged ones.
The most dangerous side-effect of both chemotherapy and radiation is Immunosuppression, or an impaired immune system. This makes the body less able to fight the cancer but also leaves it vulnerable to opportunist infections. This potential is compounded because most patients have to go into disease-ridden places (hospitals) to receive their treatments. Acupuncture increases several of the immune system components that are damaged by Western treatments including: T-cells, B-cells, Natural Killer cells, phagocytes, lymphocytes, and more; helping to keep patients healthy through their treatment.
Radiation burns tissue, so depending on where you are receiving radiation, you may experience different side-effects. Head and neck radiation often fry the salivary glands, leaving patients with a condition called Xerostomia. Western science believes that nothing can bring back salivary function after it has been lost; but acupuncture can help more than 90% of these patients regain normal function. Colo-rectal cancer radiation can affect bowels with diarrhea or constipation. Acupuncture can help regulate the bowels. Radiation burns can cause pain as well. Acupuncture has been shown to have a pain-relieving effect that is similar to codeine (but without side-effects) and is actually more effective than codeine after two weeks (because we develop a tolerance to the meds).
Another area which we don’t like to talk about too much is End of Life care. Sometimes the cancer is too advanced and there is nothing we can do but help make the patient more comfortable in his or her last days. I had a patient a few years ago who was discharged from the hospital to go home and die. They gave him three weeks to live. I made housecalls twice a week. He was from Japan and was concerned that he would not be able to say goodbye to all his loved ones. With the acupuncture, he stayed alive and comfortable for almost four months, which was enough time for his family to fly in and say goodbye. He also had a home-care hospice nurse who checked on him. All the nurse did was continually increase his prescription for Morphine and encourage him to take it. He never took it because he was never in pain. So not only did he get more time to say goodbye to his family, he was able to be fully conscious and present for their visits. Although I was sad to see him eventually pass, I consider his case to be a great success.
So the main point here is that Acupuncture helps people with cancer. If you know someone who is fighting this terrible disease, please share this information with them. At the Tiffani Kim Institute, our acupuncturists have the best training from the US and China; the experience to help patients through these difficult treatments; and the compassion to connect and help heal.
Jason Bussell MSOM, L.Ac
