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Complementary therapies, while not given the attention
that more traditional cancer therapies may receive,
are perhaps equally important while undergoing treatment
for certain types of cancer. Patients diagnosed with
difficult to treat malignancies will often use these
types of therapies in conjunction with traditional surgical,
chemotherapeutic, or radiology techniques to form a
more comprehensive and effective treatment regimen.
Among the most important and effective alternative therapies
utilized by those diagnosed with cancer is hypnotherapy.
Hypnotherapy has been used for many years in clinical
settings. Hypnotherapy's role in cancer management however,
is relatively new and indications are that its utilization
has not been fully maximized yet. Effective cancer treatment
often depends on the patient's ability to not only defeat
the cancer through treatments but also to maintain their
health and mental spirit throughout the painful side
effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and
radiation.
Often, the symptoms and effects of the cancer itself
on the body are negligible compared to the pain and
other side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. This
is where acupuncture has been said to be most effective.
Cancers such as mesothelioma,
which are often unable to be removed by surgical means,
are often treated with some combination of chemotherapy
and radiation. While these potent therapies can be effective
in eliminating some of the tumor mass and growth, they
also profoundly affect the health of the surrounding
tissue. Symptoms of these effects including fever, nausea,
and general pain have been dramatically reduced through
the utilization of hypnosis. Patients, who are able
to withstand these symptoms and recover quickly, will
often be able to be more aggressively treated, increasing
the efficacy of the treatment regimen as a whole. Some
specific hypnotherapy techniques utilized in pain management
include altering the neurophysical configuration of
pain, control of anticipatory anxiety, and targeted
imagery.
Hypnotherapy techniques may not be appropriate for all
patient's pain and individual symptoms but it's certainly
worth exploring as it can do very little harm in experimenting
with integrative therapies. The goal with alternative
therapies, as with traditional mesothelioma treatments,
is always to increase the effectiveness of treatment
as a whole. If hypnotherapy can assist in any way in
helping patients recover or manage symptoms of chemotherapy
or radiation, then it will have contributed to the treatment
regimens overall efficacy and should certainly be utilized.
References:
Erickson, Milton H, MD:
- Hypnosis in painful terminal illness,
in Haley J (ed): Advanced Techniques
of Hypnosis and Therapy
- Selected Papers of Milton Erickson, MD. New
York, Crune & Stratton, 1967.
Sunnen, Gerard MD ,
- Hypnotic Approaches in the Cancer Patient,
Ozonics International, LLC
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