Exploring The Meaning Of Holistic Cancer Treatments

Millions of people are suffering from different types of cancer today and many of them have found that conventional cancer therapies often fail to look at all the impacts of the disease in the course of treatment. For this reason, many cancer patients explore the use of holistic cancer treatments.

Holistic Healing for Cancer and Other Diseases

Holistic healing therapies are meant to heal and strengthen not only a part of the body that has been struck by disease. This means they are put together to restore the mind, body, spirit and even the emotions of persons living with cancer and other similar illnesses. One of the hallmarks of holistic healing is the use of personalized healing plans, which are developed specifically for each individual based on their own health needs.

Holistic medicine seeks to help individuals achieve optimal health and wellness therefore its goal is broader than curing a specific disease. Holistic cancer treatments will approach interventions for cancer patients with the view that because a whole person has many interdependent parts, all parts are affected by one part’s malfunction or weakness. Consequently, cancer treatment must include dealing with imbalance in all aspects of the patient’s life.

A person being treated for cancer by a practitioner of holistic medicine will find that the doctor will probably examine all the potential factors that may be causing the cancer. He or she will look at other health problems such as sleep and dietary habits, stress and personal problems and spiritual practices. The ensuing treatment plan may involve drugs to relieve symptoms but in addition to these, lifestyle modifications will figure in a major way.

Underlying Principles of Holistic Medicine

Several principles are at the very core of holistic medicine. These principles guide all treatments and radiate not only to healing cancer but to all aspects of living. Many skeptics will deem these principles as irrelevant but studies suggest that patients with a better quality of life actually have better chances of survival so maybe these principles are not to be dismissed outright. As a whole, these are the principles commonly espoused by advocates of holistic healing:

• Unconditional love and support are the best healer.
• A person has innate powers for healing which includes self-healing.
• The patient is a person and not the disease.
• Healing is not the work of the doctor alone; it is a collaborative undertaking involving doctor and patient.
• Healing addresses all aspects of a person’s life and uses.
• Ultimately, a person is responsible for his own health and well-being.
• Healing involves not only removing symptoms but also resolving the cause of the condition.

Types of Treatments

There is a wide variety of treatments and techniques used in holistic medicine to treat cancer patients. These usually help patients assume control of their own well-being and achieve optimal health. These include:

• Sessions on patient education on lifestyle changes and self-care to promote wellness.
• Assessment of sources of stress and causes of ill health.
• Review of existing diet and drafting of new eating plans.
• Creating an appropriate plan for exercise depending on the patient’s physical status.
• Psychotherapy and counseling to improve relationships and resolve emotional burdens.
• Complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathy, and others.
• Western medications and surgical procedures.

While some practitioners of holistic medicine may want to exclude western medications and procedures in their regimens, a good number will agree to complement conventional methods. The approach used by health care providers who practice holistic cancer treatments may vary in this regard but they are consistently alike in their belief that interventions must do more than just cure parts of the body that have been injured; these must nurture and take care of the whole person.