Palliative Treatment Alternative Options

Palliative Treatment Alternative Options

Medicine is recommended by doctors to treat the effects of mesothelioma. Doctors recommend medicine based on the type and intensity of pain. This can include over the counter medication and prescriptive medication for severe discomfort and pain. There are other forms of treatment options that can work in conjunction with medicine.

Alternate options of treatment

There are two types of alternative options available to patients with any form of mesothelioma:

• Complementary options this approach is used in association with mainstream medicines prescribed by a doctor
• Alternative options this approach is used in place of main stream medicines prescribed by a doctor

In the U.S. up to 70% of cancer patients use complementary options, which integrate non-mainstream therapies with conventional medicine.

There are a variety of therapies at the disposal of patients:

• Body based therapies
• Emotional effects therapies
• Energy therapies
• Homeopathy
• Mind body therapies

For this article, we will focus on body based therapies; in articles to follow we will focus on the other forms of the therapy listed above.

Palliative Treatment Alternative Options – Body based therapies

There are three main body based therapies:

• TENS Therapy

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) therapy; this is a therapy that relieves pain with low voltage electrical current. The therapy is said to relieve pain and relieve stress in patients. It is accompanied in some cases by therapeutic massages.

• Acupuncture

Palliative Treatment Alternative Options – Acupoints on head

Acupuncture therapy is where fine needles are inserted into the skin at specific points (acupoints) which are considered to be lines of energy. Acupuncture is said to reduce pain and adverse reactions to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Research shows that acupuncture reduces the occurrence of chemotherapy-related vomiting.

• Acupressure

Acupressure is a form of massage that involves applying pressure to points (acupoints) of the body considered to be lines of energy to stimulate healing. It is said that acupuncture is based off of acupressure therapy. Acupressure relieves cancer symptoms and the side effects of treatment such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, anxiety and pain.