In Chapter 8 of my book, When Cancer Hits, I tell you why it’s important to be proactive during this time to keep yourself feeling as good as possible. Complementary therapies can go a long way toward helping you to ease side effects and maintain your energy and positive mood.

Make An Appointment for You

You may find it difficult to make an appointment for a massage or acupuncture treatment, telling yourself you don’t have time or you don’t really need it. In chapter 8, I explain to you why it’s critical to set aside time at least once a week to focus on something that makes you feel good. A hint: this isn’t about luxury, but about helping your body to recover.

Massage During Cancer Treatments?

You may have been worried about massage during cancer treatments. Maybe you heard that massage encourages the spread of cancer. Well, now we know better. Studies have found that massage can help ease the side effects of treatment—but, it is important to know what kinds of massage are best. Some are too rough for your fragile body. I’ll tell you which types are best, and what kind of therapist you need to look for.

Reflexology, Reiki, and Acupuncture

Do you know that some cancer centers offer these therapies for free to cancer patients? Do you know that each one has shown in studies to help ease the side effects of chemotherapy? Read Chapter 8 to find out more about how these three treatments can help ease muscle pain, soothe anxiety, help you sleep better, reduce headaches, and restore energy. Plus you’ll learn how to spot those practitioners who are knowledgeable about working specifically with those living with cancer.

Yoga, Tai Chi, and Walking

It’s sometimes hard to exercise when you’re going through cancer treatments, yet exercise is extremely important to keep your body strong and able to heal itself. Controlled movements that are gentler on your body can help you achieve your exercise goals while not overtaxing yourself. These three exercises are also great for helping you to calm down and feel good about your body.

Complementary treatments aren’t just “nice to haves.” They’re scientifically proven to help you feel less pain, more energy, and less stress and anxiety—all extremely important in your battle against cancer.

(When Cancer Hits is available now—click here.)

Have you tried some of these complementary treatments? What did you think?

“Stress is personal,” said dermatologist and psychologist Richard G. Fried, “so what might be stressful for one person may be a non-stressor or even exhilarating for someone else.”

That’s good news. If you can determine exactly what your stresses are, you stand a better chance of figuring out how to alleviate them, which can help reduce your flare-ups.

Stress Directly Affects the Skin

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, when a person experiences stress, nerve endings in the skin release chemicals called neuropeptides that can create inflammation and itching or tingling. Stress can also make the skin’s outer barrier more permeable, sensitive, and reactive. Psoriasis seems particularly more sensitive to stress than other skin diseases. Unfortunately, as stress increases flare-ups, those flare-ups can cause more embarrassment and stress, causing more flare-ups.

What are Your Stress Triggers?

Which of the following are most likely to get you revved up?

• Emotional stressors: you worry you may be fired, or that you won’t make a good impression on a first date.
• Family stressors: you’re in conflict with a loved one, coping with a difficult adolescent, or struggling with your in-laws.
• Social stressors: you get stressed about speaking in public, meeting new people, or going to a party.
• Changes stressors: you get stressed over changes in your life, like moving, getting a new job, or having a baby.
• Work stressors: you’re stressed by the pressures of performing at work, meeting deadlines, or satisfying a difficult boss.
• Phobic stressors: you’re stressed by flying, riding in elevators, going to a high-rise office building, or riding in a cab.
• Physical stressors: you feel stress when you don’t get enough sleep, work too many hours, eat unhealthy foods, or fail to get enough exercise.
• Environmental stressors: you get stressed out when there’s too much noise, pollution, lack of space, or too much heat or cold.
• Pain stressors: chronic back or knee pain, muscle pain, or other types of pain stress you out.

Once you’ve figured out what you’re stressors are, you can try some coping mechanisms to alleviate them.

Stress Management for Psoriasis

• Meditation and Yoga: Some studies have found that patients who engaged in yoga and meditation experienced faster clearing of their psoriasis flare-ups.
• Hypnosis: studies show that hypnosis can effect tiny changes in blood flow and immune function, improving skin conditions.
• Tai Chi: according to the Mayo Clinic, tai chi is “meditation in motion,” and helps reduce stress, which can reduce psoriasis flare-ups.
• Acupuncture and Massage: According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, acupuncture and massage are both excellent measures of stress reduction, which can help psoriasis.
• Psychotherapy: Studies show that meetings with a clinical psychologist where patients discuss their skin problems and learn relaxation techniques can help reduce stress, thereby reducing flare-ups.

Have you tried stress-relieving techniques for your psoriasis? Please share your story.

Sources:

Naldi L, Chatenoud L, Linder D et al. Cigarette smoking, body mass index, and stressful life events as risk factors for psoriasis: results from an Italian case-control study. J. Invest. Dermatol. 125(1), 61-67 (2005).

Antigona M. Gercari, “Psoriasis Manifestations During the War,” Revista Latinoamericana de Psoriasis y Artritis Psoriásica 2011, 3: 60-64. http://www.fmv-uba.org.ar/RevistaPsoriasis/Vol1_N3_2011/Ingles/Gercari%20Mybera%20DURING%20THE%20WAR.pdf

“Managing Stress Can Help People Improve Their Skin Conditions,” American Acadmey of Dermatology. August 4, 2011. http://www.aad.org/stories-and-news/news-releases/managing-stress-can-help-people-improve-their-skin-conditions.

Kabat-Zinn J., et al. Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UVB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA). Psychosom Med 1998, Sept-Oct; 60(5): 625-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9773769.

Photo courtesy Gerard Fritz via Flickr.com.

“The course is for yoga teachers of any tradition,” Laura says, “who want to make a difference in the lives of cancer survivors.” A breast-cancer survivor herself, Laura found that yoga helped her recover from her bilateral mastectomy. “During my first class, I could barely move. After only a few classes, my body was totally different.”

Now, through courses like these, Laura helps others learn the facets of yoga that are particularly helpful for cancer patients. “I’ve been teaching yoga to cancer survivors since 2005, at hospitals, clinics, and yoga studios. Many research studies have shown the benefit of yoga for cancer survivors, and there is a huge dearth of trained teachers and classes in this area. If you’ve ever thought of taking your teaching in a more therapeutic direction, and have a heart for working with cancer survivors, please consider participating in this course!”

What can you expect to learn at this six-day intensive? Laura says she’ll be teaching students how to work with survivors at any stage of recovery, and with any type of cancer. Her approach includes exploring the physical impact of a cancer diagnosis; as well the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. In addition to the regular course, there’s an “internship” phase in which you begin teaching classes or private lessons to survivors in your community, and complete additional readings and studying. During this phase you will be coached, supported, and mentored on both the teaching aspect and business aspect of creating, leading, and growing a successful class.

Finally, there will be a wonderful array of guest speakers and lots of opportunities for experiential learning. The only prerequisite is that you have to have been teaching yoga for at least one year.

“Yoga gives you this great toolbox of things you can use to feel better,” Laura says. “It teaches you to say, ‘Here’s how I feel right now, in this moment, and here’s what I need to do to take care of it.’”

To register, check out The Yoga Workshop’s website. You can subscribe to Laura’s newsletter, as well, which will have more information forthcoming.

Are you planning to attend this workshop? Please share your experience with us.

Ayurvedic medicine is no magic bullet for curing cancer, but it may help some cancer patients better manage side effects. An ancient system of medicine that originated in India over 5,000 years ago, ayurveda (meaning science or knowledge of life) is a holistic way of diagnosing illness and bringing the body and mind back into balance to help restore health. Treatments and techniques can include special diets, medications, detoxification, herbal medicines, massage, meditation, Yoga, and breathing and relaxation techniques.

In the United States, ayurvedic medicine is considered complementary and alternative medicine, and is still in its infant stages, as far as research goes. A few small clinical trials have shown some effectiveness, but studies on overall ayurvedic medicine, according to the National Institutes of Health, have had problems with research design, lacked appropriate control groups, or had other issues affecting results. Therefore, more research needs to be done before we can be sure of any positive effects.

However, some studies on particular aspects of ayurveda have shown some promise. Laboratory studies on a traditional ayurvedic herbal formula called “amrit nector” showed that it protected normal cells from chemotherapy injury. (We don’t know yet if this would transfer to the human body.) Studies from India show a recently released ayurvedic medicine reduced side effects of chemotherapy and improved blood-platelet count among patients. Other studies on curcuma longa (curcumin), boswellia serrata, and camellia—three ayurvedic botanicals—also showed some positive results. Curcumin displayed powerful antioxidant activity, and the potential to protect against cancer-causing chemicals like cigarette smoke. Boswellia serrata showed the ability to fend off cancer, and to reduce inflammation, and camellia (found in green tea) helped protect cells from DNA mutation.

Massage, yoga, and meditation—also part of ayurveda—are now accepted therapies in helping cancer patients to relax, reduce stress, and increase circulation. However, other common ayurvedic remedies—such as some herbal and cleansing treatments—have had harmful effects. Using enemas, for instance, or forced vomiting, can do more harm than good, depending on the patient’s condition, and aren’t typically recommended. In addition, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, caution is necessary when purchasing ayurvedic herbs, as many (especially those imported from Southeast Asia) have been found to contain contaminants such as lead and mercury. A 2004 study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that of 70 ayurvedic remedies purchased over-the-counter, 14 contained lead, mercury, and/or arsenic at levels that could be harmful—underlying the importance of finding quality brands.

What to do? Check with your doctor first, then if you’d like to try ayurveda, find a well-trained practitioner who can help guide you to quality supplements and treatments that will best help your condition. For qualified practitioners in your area, go to the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (NIAM) and ask them for a list. There are no licenses offered in the U.S. to practice ayurveda, but there are several institutions with educational programs that issue certificates. Many practitioners educated and licensed in India come to practice in the U.S. as well.

Have you tried ayurvedic medicine for help during cancer treatments? What did you think?

Photo courtesy Biji Kurian via Flickr.com.

Laura Kupperman, yoga instructor and Cinco Vidas expert, says yoga class eased her chemo side effects and helped her recover quickly from a mastectomy.

“A few years ago,” says survivor Dana, “when I found a lump on my breast, I felt so disconnected to my body. How could it betray me like this?”

“It’s weird,” says fighter Debi. “I feel as though my rational brain is disconnected from my body, because although I know in the end that I will be fine, my body is shaky and scared.”

It’s a common feeling among cancer patients: disjointed, disconnected, betrayed by the body. For decades this complex mass of organic material has taken you where you needed to go, and performed according to your commands. Suddenly, something’s wrong. It’s not a virus, nor bacteria that have invaded your hallowed walls. It’s your own cells, turning on you.

“Cancer can often cause a unique sense of separation between self and body,” says author Laurie Wertich, “as patients ‘fight’ their cancer….Ironically, they are fighting themselves. Yoga is a way to bridge this gap, to ease this sense of separation and to embrace the whole self.”

In fact, the word “yoga” means “union,” which most western practitioners take to mean the union of the mind, body, and spirit. There is the physical exercise component, which Laura Kupperman—breast-cancer survivor, yoga instructor, and Cinco Vidas expert—credits for her fast recovery after a bilateral mastectomy. “During my first class, I could barely move,” she says. “After only a few classes, my body was totally different.”

Those who haven’t tried yoga may believe the physical postures too difficult, but the whole philosophy is to do only what feels right and to listen to the body. “When people understand what yoga is,” says yoga therapist Jnani Chapman, “there is no time that a person can’t do yoga, even when they have cancer.” In fact, studies have shown that yoga can improve circulation, digestion, sleep patterns, mobility, strength, and relaxation, plus ease side effects like nausea, joint pain, and fatigue.

But for many cancer patients, it’s the mystical benefits to the mind and spirit that make yoga so valuable during and after treatment. According to womenfitness.net, “As we engage our physical selves in the precise body gestures of yoga, our minds come along, growing accustomed to focusing on the affairs of this movement and leaving worries and future-thinking behind. As we breathe and meditate, our minds grow more clear and steady.”

Part of this benefit comes from the deep-breathing technique. Considered the life force in yoga, the breath is meant to expand the belly, rib cage, and chest, which creates a true, full breath. Most adults breathe more shallowly, from the chest only, which delivers less life-giving oxygen to the body. Breathing more deeply improves respiration, and encourages clarity and calm—something cancer patients desperately need. “Because yoga has specific breathing technique,” says survivor and writer Jennifer Weiss, “it can help patients focus their attention and fight off the depressive intrusive thoughts and focus more on relaxing. It sure helped with me.”

In the end, you just have to experience it to know how yoga can help you. “I consider yoga class a life-saver,” says survivor Ann Getzoff. “When I was sickest from the treatments, yoga was the one steady thing I could do, no matter what.”

Virginia, a student of Kupperman’s, was so sold on yoga as a treatment adjunct that she wishes she had started it sooner. “I really wish I had gone to yoga when I was in treatment. That would be my advice to someone going through cancer or chemo.”

If you’re looking for a yoga class in your area, Kupperman suggests looking for one specifically designed for cancer patients and survivors. (Try yogafinder.com.) If you don’t have one, look for a restorative or beginner’s class.

Laura Kupperman, certified yoga teacher and therapist.

Want a new treatment for side effects like insomnia, mood swings, constipation, and other aches and pains? Never mind the drugs. Your body has had enough. Instead, try taking yourself to a yoga class.

“Something magical happens when you do a total and complete class,” says certified yoga teacher and therapist, Laura Kupperman
(also a Cinco Vidas expert).

Particularly if you go to a class for cancer survivors (recommended), you’ll enjoy a unique camaraderie you’ll be unlikely to find anywhere else. If you’ve just been diagnosed, you may meet up with someone who’s already been through the treatment, or someone who’s survived for years.

“There’s a great sense of acceptance,” Kupperman says. “Everyone’s been through something. But it’s not a support group. The focus isn’t on what’s going wrong, but rather, on doing something healthy and positive for our bodies.”

Since yoga requires a steady focus on the breath, it tends to quiet the mind. Kupperman comments: “My students tell me, ‘I come to yoga, and it’s so nice, as I have to stay focused on what’s going on, so I can’t think about all the other stuff.’ Through yoga practice, we learn to be more present in the moment, which is so helpful in all areas of our lives.”

Yoga also addresses specific physical problems. Kupperman, a breast-cancer survivor, explains. “If you’ve had a bilateral mastectomy, for instance, you’re going to have scar tissue and muscular guarding. It’s your body’s way of protecting the injured area, but it causes the chest to get tight. Pretty soon the whole front of the body is rounded forward, weakening the upper back and shoulder muscles, compressing the breath, and often causing back pain. Certain yoga poses gently open up the front of the body and strengthen the back, making it easier to breathe full, deep breaths, increasing energy, and reducing aches and pains.”

Many poses can help minimize the side effects of cancer. Look to future posts for more information on these particular poses and sequences. In the meantime, Laura recommends looking for a good class to get the full benefits. (Be sure to check with your doctor before starting.) Classes specific to cancer fighters and survivors are best. If you don’t have one, try to find an instructor schooled in working with cancer patients. (Check out the International Association of Yoga Therapists, or YogaClassSearch.com.)

“Yoga gives you this great toolbox of things you can use to feel better,” Kupperman says. “It teaches you to say, ‘Here’s how I feel right now, in this moment, and here’s what I need to do to take care of it.”

If yoga has helped you on your journey, please share your experience with us.

Photo courtesy of Laura Kupperman