Thinking About Complementary & Alternative Medicine

1 1 Thinking About Complementary & Alternative MedicineA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESN ational Institutes of HealthNational Cancer InstituteNational Center for Complementary and Alternative MedicinePATIENT familyEDUCATION&Reasons People With CancerChoose CAMP eople with cancer may use CAM to: Help cope with the side effects of cancertreatments, such as nausea, pain, and fatigue; Comfort themselves and ease the worries of cancer treatment and related stress; Feel that they are doing something more to help with their own care; Try to treat or cure their ChoicesIt s natural to want to fight your cancer in anyway you can.

2 There is a lot of information available, and new methods for treating cancer are always being tested, so it may be hard to know where to start. This brochure may help you understand whatyou find and make it easier to decide whetherCAM is right for you. Many people try CAMtherapies during cancer care. CAM does notwork for everyone, but some methods may help you manage stress, nausea, pain, or othersymptoms or side most important message of this brochureis to talk to your doctor before you try anythingnew. This will help ensure that nothing gets inthe way of your cancer People With Cancer Choose CAM.

3 1 Making Choices ..1 What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine ?..2 Types of Complementary and Alternative Medicine ..3 Talk With Your Doctor Before You Use CAM ..6A Natural Product Does Not Mean a Safe Product ..8 Choose Practitioners With Information From Trusted Sources ..12 Resources ..16 Many Choices You have many choices to make before, during, and after your cancer treatment. One choice you may be Thinking About iscomplementary and Alternative Medicine . We call this CAM, for of Complementary and AlternativeMedicine (CAM)We are learning About CAM therapies every day, butthere is still more to learn.

4 Consumers may use the terms natural, holistic, home remedy, or Easternmedicine to refer to CAM. However, experts use fivecategories to describe it. These are listed below with a few examples for each. (For a complete list oftherapies, go to )Mind-Body MedicinesThese are based on the belief that your mind is able toaffect your body. Some examples are: Meditation:Focused breathing or repetition of wordsor phrases to quiet the mind; Biofeedback:Using simple machines, the patientlearns how to affect certain body functions that arenormally out of one s awareness (such as heart rate); Hypnosis:A state of relaxed and focused attention inwhich the patient concentrates on a certain feeling,idea, or suggestion to aid in healing;3 What Is Complementary and AlternativeMedicine (CAM)?

5 CAM is any medical system, practice, or product that isnot thought of as standard care. Standard medical care is care that is based on scientific evidence. For cancer, it includes chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy,and surgery. Complementary Medicine Complementary Medicine is used along withstandardmedical treatments. One example is using acupuncture to help with sideeffects of cancer Medicine Alternative Medicine is used in place ofstandardmedical treatments. One example is using a special diet to treat cancerinstead of a method that a cancer specialist (anoncologist) suggests.

6 Integrative Medicine Integrative Medicine is a total approach to carethatinvolves the patient s mind, body, and spirit. Itcombines standard Medicine with the CAM practicesthat have shown the most promise. For example, some people learn to use relaxation as away to reduce stress during chemotherapy. 2 Reflexology(ree-flex-AH-lo-gee): Using pressure pointsin the hands or feet to affect other parts of the body. Energy Medicine Energy Medicine involves the belief that the body hasenergy fields that can be used for healing and use pressure or move the body by placing theirhands in or through these fields.

7 Some examples are: Tai Chi(ty-CHEE): Involves slow, gentle movementswith a focus on the breath and concentration; Reiki(RAY-kee): Balancing energy either from adistance or by placing hands on or near the patient; Therapeutic touch(thair-a-PYU-tik): Moving handsover energy fields of the Yoga:Systems of stretches and poses, with specialattention given to breathing; Imagery:Imagining scenes, pictures, or experiencesto help the body heal; Creative outlets:Such as art, music, or dance. Biologically Based Practices This type of CAM uses things found in nature.

8 Thisincludes dietary supplements and herbal products. Someexamples are: Vitamins HerbsA note About nutrition:It s common for people withcancer to have questions About different foods to eatduring treatment. Yet it s important to know that thereis no one food or special diet that has been proven tocontrol cancer. Too much of any one food is not helpful,and may even be harmful. Because of nutrition needs youmay have, it s best to talk with the doctor in charge ofyour treatment About the foods you should be and Body-Based Practices These are based on working with one or more parts ofthe body.

9 Some examples are: Massage:Manipulation of tissues with hands or special tools; Chiropractic care(ky-ro-PRAK-tik): A type ofmanipulation of the joints and skeletal system; Foods Special dietsWhat questions should I ask my doctor About CAM?What types of CAM might: Help me cope, reduce my stress, and feel better? Help me feel less tired? Help me deal with cancer symptoms, such as pain, or side effects of treatment, such as nausea?If I decide to try a CAM therapy: Will it interfere with my treatment or medicines? Can you help me understand these articles I foundabout CAM?

10 Can you suggest a CAM practitioner for me to talk to? Will you work with my CAM practitioner?7 Whole Medical Systems These are healing systems and beliefs that have evolvedover time in different cultures and parts of the examples are: Ayurvedic Medicine (eye-yer-VAY-dik): A system from India emphasizing balance among body, mind,and spirit; Chinese Medicine : Based on the view that health is abalance in the body of two forces called yin and (AK-yoo-PUNK-cher) is a commonpractice in Chinese Medicine that involves stimulatingspecific points on the body to promote health, or tolessen disease symptoms and treatment side effects.