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Nontraditional Way to Relieve Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery

Nontraditional Way to Relieve Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery

Nontraditional methods have really taken root in areas where traditional medicine often falls short, such as pain management. But since the National Institutes of Health established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine a decade ago, the center has found the potential of nontraditional approaches.

No wonder when we consulted top doctors, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Next time you’re dealing with pain after breast cancer surgery, you may consider one of the following therapies.

ACUPUNCTURE

Use small needle to stimulate specific spot on the body to ease breast cancer symptoms and balancing the body’s energy, applying a needle to particular area can cause your body release endorphins which help you relax.

This therapy can reducing side effect of breast cancer treatments and has a long track record of easing nausea associated with chemotherapy and surgery. Acupuncture was more effective at reducing nausea and vomiting after major breast cancer surgery than antinausea medications, according research at Duke University.

Some radiation oncologist originally set out to disprove acupuncture technique, but now they routinely recommends it to breast cancer patients during and after radiation to reducing fatigue and nausea. Data shown that acupuncture can help relieve pain and improve functioning in people with breast cancer.

YOGA

Combines specific postures, breathing and relaxation to strengthen and stretch the body and calm the mind. Yoga increase flexibility and stretches the muscles in away that help reduce discomfort and pain after breast cancer surgery.

Easing physical effect of stress, yoga helps relieve the anxiety associated with breast cancer illness and helped breast cancer patients sleep better. And patients who took up yoga practice use less medication.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Herbs, vitamins and minerals can help deficiencies and lower breast cancer risk. Vitamin D deficiency has increased risk of several diseases including breast cancer.

According Creighton University research, postmenopausal woman who took vitamin D supplement for four years had a lower risk for breast cancer than those who didn’t. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all recommendation because our body makes it as a result of sun exposure, and this varies from person to person.

MEDITATION

When you meditate, you focus on a word, an object or your own breath as you exhale to quiet your mind and relax your body. Meditation may decrease activity in the autonomic nervous system, which results in a lower heart rate and relaxation of blood vessels.

Meditation can help people lower their dose of blood medication and relieve stress before and after breast cancer surgery. Meditation reduces stress almost instantly and it can boost breast cancer patient’s healing. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, recommended meditation as one way to relieve stress.

HYPNOTHERAPY

A therapist guides you to a state called restful alertness, which may make you more open to suggestions that can change your state of mind and improve your health. When something physically hurts you the effected nerve or muscle sends a signal to brain, and under hypnosis you can train your mind to interpret the signal differently as less intense.

One study showed that getting hypnosis prior to breast cancer surgery reduced women’s need for anesthesia as well as postoperative nausea and discomfort.

Nontraditional Way to Relieve Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery

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