Alternative Treatments for Mesothelioma

 

Alternative mesothelioma treatment options include any treatments which the medical community deems as outside the acceptable or "traditional" treatments for the disease. Even though such treatments are not endorsed by most doctors, many mesothelioma patients have found them to be effective in combating symptoms of the disease.

Many of these treatments are what most people would describe as "holistic" in nature. They'll treat the patient not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Because they are considered "alternative" or "unconventional" and are generally not approved by doctors for the treatment of the disease, these therapies are usually not covered by most medical insurance policies.

Some patients opt to use only these treatments, foregoing traditional therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation in favor of those which do not produce debilitating side effects. Others use these alternative therapies as a complement to traditional therapies, hoping to use every resource available to them to achieve as much success as possible in fighting the disease and its troublesome symptoms.

Most doctors will not discourage the use of such treatments as the comfort of the patient is their utmost concern. However, it is important to tell your doctor if you are considering such therapies while undergoing traditional treatment because there are some instances (such as with nutritional supplements) that may interfere with the conventional mesothelioma treatment.

Alternative treatments for mesothelioma include:

Acupuncture - The art of acupuncture has been used for centuries in China to relieve pain. Mesothelioma victims seek acupuncture treatments to decrease the intense pain often caused by the disease so that they may enjoy a better quality of life. Acupuncture involves the insertion of long, thin needles into certain points on the body. Acupuncture specialists know where to insert the needles in order to control pain in a particular part of the body and treatment may be done as often as deemed necessary.

Massage - Various forms of massage therapy are used by mesothelioma patients in order to reduce both pain and stress. Many maintain that massage is by far the best way for patients with terminal diseases to enjoy some time of relaxation. Massage works by applying tension, pressure, and motion to the soft tissues of the body, which include tendons, muscles, ligaments, and lymphatic tissue. Massage may also aid is reducing nausea, which is often a side effect of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Patients can see a specially-trained massage therapist for these treatments, which may also be administered by a chiropractor. As with acupuncture, massage can be performed as often as the patient wishes.

Herbs and Nutritional Supplements - Most often used as a complement to traditional therapies, the use of herbs and nutritional supplements have proven helpful to some mesothelioma patients. Though they're efficacy is not verified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some herbs and supplements claim to boost the immune system while others attest to slowing the progression of cancers such as pleural mesothelioma. (Always tell your doctor which natural supplements or herbs you are considering before you take them so as not to interfere with regular treatment. Some herbs may reduce the potency of certain chemo drugs.)

TENS therapy - Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) involves the placing of electrodes on the nerve pathway, which then produce an electrical current that is said to stimulate the production of a morphine-like substance in the brain. This substance may serve to reduce pain. Many mesothelioma patients seeking a fairly non-invasive form of palliative treatment have tried TENS therapy, with some success.

Meditation - Proponents of meditation claim that it increases the body's immune function, but most patients use it to reduce stress and pain, not unlike massage. Meditation has been an important part of many Eastern religions for more than 5,000 years and involves bringing about a healthy state of relaxation for the individual involved in meditating. Meso patients who meditate are taught how to be aware of the mind and the attitudes that produce stress.

Aromatherapy - Aromatherapy is a type of therapy that falls under the guise of alternative medicine, typically through the use of different essential oils derived from plants. Though aromatherapy as use of essential oils for treatment purposes has roots in ancient times, aromatherapy as it exists today is a decidedly Western idea. Aromatherapy in the modern sense began as a French practice during the First World War when a perfume chemist began selling essential oils that when burned, eased the recovery from Gangrene in soldiers.