Alternative Cancer Therapies

Found this article in Parade Magazine and it gave good information about alternative cancer therapies. I summarized the major points.

More than 70% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative (CAM) medical therapies, according to a study in the journal Cancer. Alternative therapies may include acupuncture, meditation, supplements, hypnosis, homeopathy, prayer and religion.

Years ago alternative medicine was considered ineffective by the medical community and still today you will find some doctors who do not support that type of treatment. Most doctors though are willing to consider it. The American Cancer Society recently released its Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies. The book is to be used as a reference book and details hundreds of alternative therapies including evidence of effectiveness and side effects.

Historical evidence indicates that most patients who use natural remedies are not using them as a cure but for help in handling the side effects of radiation or chemotherapy. Common side effects are nausea, stress, and harm to the immune system.

The Cancer Society guide also covers many therapies for which there is no evidence such as shark cartilage, enzyme therapy and electro-magnetic therapy. Some alternative therapies can be dangerous, according to the guide, for instance chelation therapy, oxygen therapy, and hyperthermia.

Hypnosis for Losing Weight

Hypnosis for weight loss and hypnosis for stress are one of the frequent reasons people consider hypnosis. Here is a brief explanation of what hypnosis is and some comments by therapists and clients (from an article that appeared in the health section of our paper):

“Hypnosis,” said Chris Penell of Spirit Quest Healing. “It’s about getting the subconscious to look at things differently.” Penell says hypnosis can treat smoking, weight control, phobias, procrastination, anxiety, self-forgiveness, guilt, anger issues and insomnia. “Most people, about 99 percent, even though they think they know what is bothering them, they really don’t,” Pennel said. “It’s actually some subconscious thought that is causing them to be stressed.”

Penell using a soothing voice and deep relaxation skills, takes clients back to the “seed” to get their subconscious to release a negative trigger and replace it with a positive one. “I use the color green,” Penell said. “We put a positive trigger of the color green in your subconscious, and when you feel stressed, you look at the color green and become more calm, relaxed, and think more clearly.”