Breast Cancer Awareness Month is here again. It should be Cancer Awareness Month every month of the year since this ravenous disease has affected all of us on some level. So how can Acupuncture and Alternative/Complementary healthcare medicine help to fight against this disease? Acupuncture can help relieve or reduce common side effects of surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. The list below is the most common side effects treated by acupuncture.
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Nausea/Vomiting
- Hot Flashes
- Dry Mouth
- Joint Pain
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Anxiety/Depression
Acupuncture is energy medicine. It helps to rebalance a “dis-eased” body.
What is the blame for this Cancer epidemic? Do I dare try to answer this question in public? I will present some daily primary life exposures that may illuminate this problem. We know that our drinking water is full of chemicals. We know that the food we eat is full of artificial ingredients. We understand that the endless amount of prescription drugs we take throughout a lifetime is highly toxic to the body. We know that the air we breathe daily is very polluted. We now know through many years of investigating that our vaccines are full of toxins; if not, the ingredients in the vaccines have created havoc on our bodies. We know that constant EMF (electromagnetic frequency) exposure from cell phones daily harms our body’s electrical system. Almost everything in our home is built with some chemical component, including the preservatives in the wood beams with which our house is built. To the toxic cleaning agent, we use in our homes and lawns. To the glue that holds our rugs together. To the fluorescent lights that are looming above. We are also exposed to the noise pollution of our TVs when we fall asleep in them at night.
Let’s not forget the daily stresses of making a living and paying our bills. How about the overpopulation of people right here in our neighborhood? The overconsumption of sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco (including vapors) must be recognized. I am not trying to point out a gloom and doom reality. I am just presenting a case of daily over-exposure to toxic agents in our lives that can be modified with some education and discipline. Illness is always a perfect storm of exposure to harmful agents, whether they are based on emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual imbalance. The perfect storm always presents itself with many variables. It’s not just the poor food choices you make, the exposure to the toxic air environments from your job, or the over-exposure to stress from a troubled teenage child. The combination of all these factors creates the perfect story or storm of disease.
Acupuncture and other forms of Alternative/Preventative care, which include Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Physical Therapy, Nutritional Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Herbal Medicine, can all be utilized regularly. It has become widespread for people to incorporate the aforementioned medical professionals as a health maintenance team to build up the immune system to fight cancer. There is nothing like alternative/complementary/functional medicine, which consciously cares for your health and will enquire about your mind, body, and spiritual aspects. Having the support of someone who will listen attentively to your needs if you are in pain or discomfort on any level is paramount to staying in balance throughout a lifetime. If Cancer has become a part of your life, please integrate Allopathic and Complementary health systems. As I have stated, having a healthcare team that empowers, educates, and holds you accountable to build up your immune system with appropriate lifestyle modifications can help deter further accumulation of these pathological cells. Building a more robust “defense system”, such as an immune system, is vital to living many happy years after a diagnosis. “An ounce of prevention is much greater than a pound of cure.” Regular doctor checkups, eating a healthier diet, exercising more, getting adequate sleep, being very conscious about what we apply to the outside of our body, having fun, drinking purified water, and practicing stress-reducing techniques such as Yoga, Meditation, Tai Qi or Qi Gong are essential to living with a healthy immune system.
Anthony Cerabino is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Medical Massage Therapist, NAET Practitioner, and Nutritional Counselor at the Healthcare Wellness Center of Bay Shore, New York.
Always consult your physician before beginning any new medical treatment or fitness program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.
