Mind and Body Therapies for Mesothelioma
After receiving a diagnosis of mesothelioma, patients and caregivers may feel hopeless or depressed and not understand how to proceed. Patients and caregivers may find benefit from mind and body therapies which can be effective tools to help improve overall health.
Providing the Best Outcome
Nowadays, patients and caregivers will often be treated with a complementary therapy with the intention of helping holistic, or overall, health. Unfortunately, no single treatment has been proven effective with this form of illness. Mind and body therapies work alongside conventional treatment and most doctors will call this a mind, body and spirit approach to healing. While the body may have cancer, the goal of this type of complementary therapy is to focus on helping the entire body.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has existed as a form of treatment for thousands of years in eastern medicine. This form of treatment is proposed to remove energy blockages and regulate mental and physical health all while balancing a person’s energy flow to activate healing within the body. There are an estimated 2,000 pressure points within the body and activating these pressure points by inserting an acupuncture needle, can help to improve symptoms including:
- Pain
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Dry mouth
Yoga
Yoga is another mind and body that some have found to be beneficial. It unites the body with mind awareness and helps with mental focus. This practice first began an estimated 5,000 years ago in the Indus Valley and has been proposed to help improve a patient’s breathing ability, in addition to other benefits. This could be particularly helpful for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma as this is a common symptom. The regular practice of yoga has been suggested to have other benefits that include:
- Improving quality of life
- Helping to sleep better
- Lowering depression
- Helping with difficulty of breathing
- Lowering symptoms of asthma
As with other forms of exercise, it is important to discuss starting or any changes with your doctor. Restorative yoga is a low impact form of exercise which could be a great place to start.
Tai Chi and Qigong
The practice of Tai Chi, or qigong, can be a way of helping the mind and body. Classes are available throughout the United States and while qigong is easier to learn in the beginning, patients may find that Tai Chi is a more interesting art over the long term.
Mind and body therapies are often used in combination with other forms of treatment.
Mind and body therapies can lower some of the symptoms that can arise from having an illness, like mesothelioma. Before starting or changing any aspect of treatment, first consult with a doctor to ensure that a new treatment is safe and will not interact with any of your other medications.