Complementary and Holistic Therapies
A small study has found that acupressure can help relieve long-term fatigue in women who've been treated for breast cancer.
Electroacupuncture – a type of acupuncture where a small electric current passes between pairs of acupuncture needles – has been found to ease fatigue, anxiety, and depression in women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who are taking an aromatase inhibitor.
Twelve weeks of acupuncture seems to offer the same relief from hot flashes as 12 weeks of Effexor (chemical name: venlafaxine), an antidepressant.
A small study has found that a specific type of counseling called cognitive behavioral therapy, along with hypnosis, can help ease the fatigue that often can be a side effect of radiation therapy to treat breast cancer.
Acupressure done at home by women who were taught the technique helped reduce pain, anxiety, and depression after breast cancer treatment.
Women who've been treated for breast cancer who are in satisfying romantic relationships may have a lower risk of health problems after treatment because the relationship eases stress, which lowers blood inflammation markers.
A short hypnosis session before surgery didn't ease pain after lumpectomy, but did ease fatigue and anxiety after the procedure.
Women diagnosed with early-stage disease were less likely to start prescribed chemotherapy if they used complementary medicine techniques.
A small study found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who wrote online about their experiences with cancer had fewer symptoms of depression and more positive moods.
Research shows that group therapy can boost psychological well-being in women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, but only improves survival in women with hormone-receptor-negative disease.
Yoga improves emotional well-being and also may benefit the immune system in breast cancer survivors.
Regular group exercise can improve quality of life for women with breast cancer.
The results of a small study suggest that electroacupuncture can help ease hot flashes as much or more than gabapentin, improving women's sleep quality.
Community-based support organizations are essential in helping Black women in Memphis who have been diagnosed with breast cancer overcome barriers to care.
Two types of acupuncture were better than physical therapy, steroids, and pain medicine usually used to ease ongoing muscle and/or joint pain among cancer survivors.
The Restoring Body Image After Cancer group therapy program, which uses guided imagery, seems to help improve body image as well as quality of life in women treated for breast cancer.
A small study has found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can help ease the pain that many women continue to have months and years after breast cancer treatment is completed.
Women diagnosed with breast cancer who had the most social ties were less likely to have a recurrence and less likely to die from breast cancer than women who were socially isolated.
A breast cancer diagnosis can bring out so many difficult emotions(ear, anger, resentment, hopelessness, and more. It is a big challenge to learn how to cope with these feelings along with the stress ...
Yoga may help women with advanced breast cancer.
Yoga classes tailored to the needs of breast cancer patients can improve quality of life and emotional well-being for some women.
Cognitive behavioral therapy may help ease treatment-related hot flashes.
A study has found that women who expect placebo electroacupuncture to work get better pain relief than women who expect the treatment to work and get real electroacupuncture.
To help doctors and patients understand which complementary therapies are safe and effective for people diagnosed with breast cancer, the Society for Integrative Oncology has published guidelines.