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Complementary therapies for all stages?

Page last modified on: September 29, 2008
Question from Jo: Can complementary therapies be used for all types and stages of breast cancer?
Answers —Tracy Walton, L.M.T., M.S.: Massage therapy, when it's practiced skillfully and with care, attention, and sensitivity to the stages of cancer, can absolutely be used. It can be very helpful, whether it's someone in survivorship, during diagnosis, or in the middle of treatment.
Beth DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.: In my practice, complementary therapies are used for all types and all stages of breast cancer. My hope is that through education of my peers and colleagues, other physicians will adopt complementary therapies, as well, to aid in the healing process at any time during the treatment of breast cancer. I have actively referred patients for complementary therapies for the past five years, and I myself have been trained in the Japanese art of energy healing called Reiki.
Mary Ellen Scheckenbach, M.Ac.: The first thing to know is that there are many, many complementary modalities. Most of them focus on the person, as opposed to just the disease or the problem. For the person during diagnosis, during treatment, after treatment, and until the end of life, these modalities are always appropriate and can assist in different ways as the person makes the journey through illness.

On Wednesday, March 16, 2005, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Acupuncture and Touch Therapies. Mary-Ellen Scheckenbach, M.Ac., Tracy Walton, L.M.T., M.S., and moderator Beth Baughman Dupree, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about acupuncture and touch therapies.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Mary Ellen Scheckenbach, M.Ac. is co-founder of Hidden River: A Center for Health in Philadelphia. Ms. Scheckenbach has practiced acupuncture and chinese herbology since 1986 with an emphasis on women's health, chronic disease, and pain.

Tracy Walton, L.M.T., M.S. consults to hospitals and massage schools and teaches "Caring for Clients with Cancer," courses offered nationally for massage therapists.

Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a general surgeon. Her clinical practice is located at Holy Redeemer Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center.

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