Can Integrative Medicine Help Fight Cancer? – webmd.com

Integrative medicine pairs traditional medicine with other treatments to care for your mind, body, and spirit. For example, your doctor may suggest chemotherapy to fight cancer as well as acupuncture to help manage its side effects.

It isnt just medicine. Your care team may also design a plan to help you build healthy behaviors and skills -- like smart eating habits and stress-busting activities. These things can keep you healthy for the long term.

Integrative medicine uses complementary treatments, but they have to be backed by good science. Always tell your doctor before you try a nontraditional treatment. That way, youll know if its safe and likely to work.

There are a lot of new terms to learn when you go outside regular medical care:

Conventional medicine. This is what you get from medical doctors, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, and similar health care professionals. You might hear it called:

Alternative medicine. True to its definition, this type of care is used instead of (an alternative to) standard medical care. For example, you might go on a special diet that claims to cure cancer instead of taking drugs your doctor prescribes. This isnt common, but it does happen. Talk to your doctor before you decide to skip traditional treatment.

Complementary medicine. Its often used along with traditional medicine. It can help you manage the side effects of cancer treatment.

Integrative medicine. This approach takes the most effective treatments from different disciplines, including standard medicine and complementary approaches. The result is a personalized health plan for your unique physical and emotional needs.

Its a medical specialty. That means you can find a doctor who is board-certified in integrative medicine and trust that your treatments will be safe and proven to work. What you can expect from this kind of medical care?

You might hear it called integrative oncology. No matter what the name, the idea is the same: Treat the whole patient, not just the disease. For cancer patients especially, that includes ways to ease stress and worry and boost your sense of well-being. You might try:

Evidence is what makes the big difference between the complementary treatments that are considered part of integrative medicine and all the other complementary and alternative treatments out there (you may hear your doctor lump them together into one term: CAM). With integrative medicine, you get science-backed therapies that your doctor has chosen to treat your condition. If you try CAM on your own, you may not know whether a product or treatment is safe.

For example, the label all natural doesnt mean a product is safe. Some natural ingredients can be toxic. Others might keep your cancer treatments from working like they should.

What might CAM treatments do for you?

Acupuncture:

Hypnotherapy (hypnosis):

Massage therapy:

Meditation:

Physical activity:

Nutrition counseling:

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Can Integrative Medicine Help Fight Cancer? - webmd.com