Tag: Breast Cancer
A University of Texas Medical Study Shows Qigong Can Help Treat Breast Cancer
Scientists from the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas have discovered that an ancient mind-body practice known as qigong can help women suffering from breast cancer who are receiving radiation therapy for their disease. Having been used across Asia for more than four millennia for disease prevention and spiritual health, qigong seems to not only aid patients with breast cancer to manage their stress but – by doing so – can positively affect the patients physiologically.
Director of the Integrative Medicine Program and professor at MD Anderson’s Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen says, “At the start of the treatment, we also were especially interested to witness whether qigong would be beneficial to patients suffering from depressive symptoms.” Dr. Cohen added, “For cancer patients, it is essential that they manage their levels of stress since it can have a deep adverse effect on inflammatory profiles and biological systems.”
Recently featured in the medical journal Cancer, the new study is actually the first one to observe the effects of qigong in patients who are getting radiation therapy. It also is the first to include a follow-up period to see if there are any benefits in the future. According to the researchers, the positive results emphasize the benefits of body-mind practices in the treatment of cancer.
A total of 96 women all suffering from various stages of breast cancer (from stage one to stage three) were enrolled at the Shanghai Cancer Center Fudan University in Shanghai, China. The women were divided into two groups; one group was comprised of 49 cancer patients who performed qigong in a class for 40 minutes each week during their radiation therapy which lasted five to six weeks. The medical qigong class was made up of various exercises with synchronizing breath.
The group of 47 breast cancer patients was the control group. Their treatment involved conventional care minus the qigong classes. At the start, middle and end of radiation therapy, as well as, a month and three months later, the women in both groups were evaluated. The researchers rated the issues related to the quality of life of the subjects including their sleeping problems, fatigue, and depression symptoms.
The outcomes revealed that the patients in the qigong group experienced a gradual decline in their depression symptoms starting at the conclusion of radiation therapy and continuing over the post-radiation treatment follow-up three months after the end of the study. In the control group however, there were no changes in depression observed also three months after the end of the study.
In a media statement, Cohen explained “At the beginning of the study, we evaluated the depression symptoms of the subjects to see if women with high levels of depression would benefit more,” He added, “Women with low levels of depression symptoms, at the beginning of radiation therapy experienced a positive good quality of life over the course of the study and three months later regardless of what group they were assigned (the qigong group and the control group). In the control group, however, the women who suffered from high depression symptoms experienced the worst levels of fatigue, depression symptoms, fatigue, and general quality of life that were meaningfully enhanced for the patient subjects in the qigong group.”
Because it was after the end of radiation therapy that qigong benefits were mainly observed, the researchers believed that qigong can really facilitate the process of recovery, particularly for patients with breast cancer who had relevant symptoms of depression at the beginning of radiation therapy.
Researchers are recording some of the ways qigong seem to treat medical conditions. For instance, the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias published a study which showed that patients suffering from early stage dementia can retard their psychological, mental, and physical degeneration by participating in non-drug treatments that integrate traditional qigong, support groups, and counseling. The researchers actually saw that many of the benefits of this approach can be compared to that achieved with anti-dementia drugs (that often come with severe side effects).
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Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Prevent Rise Of Breast Cancer And Relieve Its Symptoms
With the quantum leap of technology these days, there are even better ways to prevent the rise of breast cancer. An alternative option one should consider is TCM or traditional Chinese medicine for the relief of side effects and pain and their recurrence after treatments such as radiation therapy or surgery.
TCM comprises the ancient therapies of herbal medicine, acupuncture and energy exercises. They all can be alternative ways to boost the health of the breasts of cancer patients after conventional treatments. Stress, anger, and other types of emotional distress may result in functional disorders of the spleen and liver that may cause lumps to develop in the breast that in turn lead to the recurrence or exacerbation of the symptoms after treatment. Acupuncture in Tarzana is deemed to be one of the most effective ways to help release stress and provide energy to the patient post treatment.
Herbal medicine can be used to help reduce cancer cells in the body. There are herbs that possess anticancer properties that can be used to eliminate toxins from the body. There are also herbs to boost immunity and herbs to prevent alterations. Tai Chi, Qi Gong and other energy exercises can help alleviate tension and stress in the body. All these treatments have proven effective in subduing the growth of cancer cells and in enhancing the lifestyle of a person.
Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the best therapies to consider if you’re searching for ways to increase the health of your breast and recovery faster after treatments. TCM decreases the recurrence of symptoms after treatment as well as the likelihood of developing breast cancer. Moreover, following a healthy lifestyle like doing exercises and quitting smoking can definitely improve the health of your breast.
Acupuncture Can Stop Breast Cancer Pain
A growing number of women are dissatisfied with contemporary Western medicine’s inability to help them recover from abnormal breast symptoms. They are now looking at ancient Chinese practices that have been validated by science and time. One such practice is acupuncture, a treatment that gives women the chance to prevent or avoid breast ailments. This unique type of healing practice is a proven way to improve the health of the breasts.
In Chinese medicine, when relieving an ailment, nerves and the emotions are major contributors to the development of breast diseases. By nature, women are moody; and the levels of stress change from time to time. This causes their body fluids known as Qi to thicken and clog and transform into nodules. The nodules add to their risk of developing breast cancer and other diseases related to the breast. Since women are more emotional than men and since most of them get stressed virtually every day, many women, over time, develop breast cancer.
Once cancer cells develop, they attack the normal tissues in the body; the cancer cells can then spread to the other parts of the body through lymphatic and circulatory systems. Research reveals that more than 80 percent of women with breast cancer are over 50 years of age. When they get older, women become more susceptible to abnormal breast symptoms.
To know the symptoms and causes of breast cancer, one should consider the patient’s family history – a family member who has breast cancer will mean that the chance of another female family acquiring the disease becomes high as she gets older. If your menstrual cycle started early and you have a delay in menopause, your risk of developing breast cancer is high. Women who have never breast fed are also candidates for breast cancer. Other studies show that some women who underwent hormonal therapy may also develop breast cancer.
If you feel a lump on your breast, do not be alarmed since all lumps are not deemed as cancerous; nevertheless, you should seek the advice of your doctor to ensure that your lump is harmless. You need to undergo a monthly check up of your breast to prevent the rise of breast tumors or cancer, especially when you are getting old. As you age you become more prone to diseases so you need to be more conscious with your health. Also, check your breasts for any tumors and cysts. If there are any changes in your breast, you need to go for a check-up. These changes may include a lump in the armpit or breast, change in the size of the breast, changes in the nipple area, etc.
Treating breast cancer on its early stage is the best way to beat this disease. Acupuncture in Tarzana can help treat breast cancer pain and even helps reduce the side effects associated with radiation and chemotherapy. It is a treatment in which needles are applied into the skin to stop bodily pain and ailments. The needles are stuck into body points called acupoints. Acupuncture treatment helps maintain the flow of energy within the body to treat illness and maintain health.