Acupuncture and Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum and is highly preventable by getting screened beginning at age 50 since more than 90 % of colorectal cancers occur in people aged 50 or older. Annually, 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer and more than 50,000 people die from it. Treatment can be stressful, uncomfortable, and comes with many side effects such as chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting, postoperative pain, cancer related pain, insomnia, and anxiety. The chronic pain can significantly impact quality of life. Most patients are prescribed medications such as opioids for pain management that have many side effects and may lead to physical and psychological dependence with long-term use.
Acupuncture can provide complementary support by reducing pain, stress, and anxiety while improving sleep and fatigue. Acupuncture is well known for treating pain and nausea / vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Going through chemotherapy treatment can cause severe fatigue. One study showed that acupuncture resulted in a 30 percent improvement in a baseline fatigue score.
Insomnia and anxiety are one of the most common symptoms that cancer patients experience. Acupuncture has been proven in numerous studies to be just as effective, if not more, than prescription drugs in improving sleep and decreasing stress and anxiety levels. This alternative treatment has also been shown to improve overall mood.
Acupuncture can help boost the immune system. Chemotherapy can greatly lower the body’s immune defense, leaving one in a vulnerable state due to a decrease in white-blood cell count. By increasing blood flow and stimulating Qi, acupuncture is a great way to improve immune function.
A cancer diagnosis can drastically change one’s life not only physically but mentally as well. If you have been diagnosed with colon cancer and / or going through chemotherapy, it is important to remember that there are alternative, safe treatments that can help you through the difficult process when combined with conventional biomedical care. If a loved one is going through treatment, support is the best thing you can do for them.
In addition to getting screened regularly starting at ago 50, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol intake, quit smoking, and eat a healthy and balanced diet to reduce your risk. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and there is no better time to get tested and become educated on the facts.