Non-invasive alternative therapies can clear an anxious mind
Up to 80% of American patients with breast cancer will undergo complementary therapies to manage anxiety and stress after they receive a diagnosis.
Though there’s no clear consensus on which integrative and alternative therapies work and which are ineffective, more and more medical practices have incorporated practices like mindfulness and acupuncture into their offerings. But a new study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs conducted by several major oncology facilities has examined which therapies benefit patients the most. The answer? Meditation, yoga and relaxation with imagery.
The three methods are known to be calming for those who practice them, and the researchers gave the practices an “A” for treating symptoms of mood disorders that are highly common among people with a recent diagnosis.
Acupuncture was given a “B” for controlling chemo nausea, and music therapy also received a “B” for anxiety and stress. Healing touch was given a “C” for lowering pain, and aloe vera gel was not recommended at all for preventing skin reactions from radiation therapy
http://time.com/3555676/meditation-yoga-breast-cancer/
For more specifics on the study http://jncimono.oxfordjournals.org/content/2014/50/346.abstract
