Cancer is the name given to any illness resulting from one of our body's own cells growing out of control. There are many processes that control a cell's growth and division, each of which can go wrong. Several of these control mechanisms need to be damaged before a cell becomes cancerous. There are more than 200 different types of cancers, which are categorized in to carcinoma, sarcoma, lymphoma and leukemia based on the cells from which they arise.
The principles involved in treating cancer are ? either directly destroying the cancer tissues or indirectly destroying them by depriving them of blood supply and/or their nutrition. But the irony is that whatever conventional treatment is used to destroy cancer cells do affect to some extent the normal cells also. They may damage the skin, liver, intestine the bone marrow and other rapidly multiplying cells. Sometimes the effect of the treatment is more devastating than the disease itself.
Role of Alternative Medicine in treating cancer
A larger study of Alternative medicine use in patients with different types of cancer was published in the July 2000 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. It was found that nearly 70% of the patients used at least one form alternative medicine along with the conventional treatment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) are sponsoring a number of clinical trials at medical centers to evaluate alternative medical therapies for cancer.
Alternative medicine includes therapies like herbal remedies, vitamins, special diets, and acupuncture among others.
Acupuncture: effective in the management of chemotherapy associated nausea and vomiting and in controlling pain associated with surgery. Now used in a trial to reduce the symptoms of colorectal cancer
-Homeopathy
-Ayurveda
-Shark cartilage: Being tried in non-small cell lung cancer. it prevents new blood vessels growth
-Hyperbaric oxygen: In patients who had larynx removed for larynx cancer
-Massage therapy: for cancer related fatigue
-Pancreatic enzyme therapy along with specialized diet for the treatment of pancreatic cancer
-Mistletoe extract: for the treatment of solid tumors
-Wheatgrass therapy
-Macrobiotics: The macrobiotic diet is strictly vegetarian and requires you to consume about half of your daily calories from whole grains, about a quarter of your calories from vegetables, and the rest of your calories from beans, seaweed and soups
-Bioelectric therapies
-Moerman's Anti-Cancer diet
-Hoxsey herbal therapy
-Essiac herbal therapy: Essiac is a herbal tea mixture that relieves pain and reduces the size of tumors. It contains four herbs- burdock, rhubarb, sheep sorrel and slippery elm
-Pau D'Arco herbal therapy
-Chaparral herbal therapy
-Laetrile (amygdalin): a chemical found in lima beans, raw nuts and the pits of many fruits. Amygdalin produces cyanide, which proponents claim kills cancer
-Alkaline diet: such as fruits and vegetables and restricting acidic foods
-Antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables
-Vitamins A, C and E: These are very good anti oxidants
-Detox therapies including Gonzales nutritional metabolic therapy, colon therapy, and Gerson therapy
The most successful practitioners integrate various components of the alternative cancer treatments for a better outcome.
Alternative Medicine Breast Cancer
The origins of alternative medicine, also known as holistic medicine, can be traced back thousands of years to the very roots of medicine. Many millennia ago, physicians or healers would assess the sick person's emotional condition in addition to their physical symptoms before beginning treatment. The roots of alternative medicine deal with the symptoms of the ?whole? person, not merely the physical signs of illness. This is radically different from traditional medicine today.
In medicine today, people demand to be cured immediately, and the demand for medicines and treatments that do so is very high. Most physicians today are trained to assess physical symptoms and base treatments on that, without much consideration of the person's emotional or intellectual state.
Since its inception, alternative medicine has survived the ages and stages of the field of medicine. Despite the prevalence of modern medical practices, there are still millions of people worldwide that take advantage of alternative treatments for ailments or well-being. Some of these alternative treatments include massage therapy, herbal remedies, and meditation. Massage is one of the most long-standing forms of alternative treatment, and it is highly popular today as a treatment for aches and pains, and as a means of stress release and relaxation. Most people probably don't even think about massage as a type of alternative medicine.
Through the ages, every society has used their own forms of alternative medicines and treatments. There is over 5000 years of history and many types of treatments that were used far and wide, and many traditional medical treatments can even find their roots in alternative medicine from long ago.
Long ago in Europe, medical issues were treated by one of two types of healers, the physicians or the folk healers. The folk healers appealed to the poorer factions of society, in that they used natural treatments that were more affordable and easier to come by. Folk healers were often highly respected in these underprivileged sections of society. Folk healers often incorporated philosophy and religious faith into their healing practices, which helped to strengthen a sick person's mind and spirit, as well as his body.
Eventually, folk medicine evolved into the traditional medicine we are familiar with in today's world. With each passing century, many great advances have been made in treatments and cures for various diseases and conditions.
Despite the dominance of traditional medicine in the world today, there is still a place for alternative medicine. It is alive and well, and used by many people around the world through massage therapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, meditation, and many other forms of alternative treatments. Many physicians now support many of these treatments, making them less alternative.
The origins of alternative medicine were very forward thinking. Alternative medicine has survived through the millennia because it has real validity, despite a great deal of ridicule through the ages. Though they do not have the immediate effect that many drugs and treatments of traditional medicine, they are a feasible option for a person to consider.
Both Markus Wahlgren & Ken Snow are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Markus Wahlgren has sinced written about articles on various topics from Types of Cancer, Wrinkles and Diabetes Treatment. Markus writes and publishes articles about Alternative treatments for diseases including cancer, and other unbiased topics on. Markus Wahlgren's top article generates over 14800 views. Bookmark Markus Wahlgren to your Favourites.
Ken Snow has sinced written about articles on various topics from Acne Treatment, Education and Types of Cancer. To learn more about alternative medicine and treatments visit. Ken Snow's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Ken Snow to your Favourites.
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