Why do People use Complementary Therapies?
Conventional medicine is increasingly recognising the importance
of complementary therapies to patients, and that they may have
a place in care, if not cure. Many doctors are sympathetic to
their patient's desire to find additional ways of taking care
of their well being and will discuss this with you. It is always
important to let your doctor know what you are doing. In the case
of prostate cancer, it is not wise to put off conventional treatment
because you are trying a complementary therapy. Some of the more
common types of therapies are as follows.
Changing
Your Diet
It always makes sense to ensure that you have a healthy diet.
There is some evidence to suggest that dietary factors, such as
a low intake of animal fat as in meat and dairy products, a high
intake of some plant foods such as soy protein, legumes and a
high intake of tomato-based products, may protect against the
development of prostate cancer. There are trials underway to test
this. It is known that a diet like this is also helpful for the
heart and circulation, and so there may be many benefits from
increasing your intake of vegetables, nuts and beans and reducing
your animal fat intake.
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables will also increase your
intake of the so called antioxidant vitamins A, C and E. In addition,
there is some evidence that the vitamin D and selenium can help
prevent cancer.
While it makes sense to improve your diet generally, it is important
to remember that some of these nutrients can actually harm you
if taken in large quantities such as in mega-dose vitamin pills.
It is important to talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you want
to supplement your diet in this way.
Natural
Products (Including Medicinal Plants and Herbal Remedies)
Natural products such as medicinal plants and mixtures of herbs
have been used by traditional healers for thousands of years,
and some of them contain powerful chemicals. However, many have
not been tested for effectiveness and safety using conventional
Western scientific methods.
An example of a medicinal plant used for benign prostate problems
where we have better evidence for its effectiveness is saw palmetto.
Saw palmetto is now regularly used in the treatment of benign
prostatic hyperplasia. The plant was reported to be used by Indians
in the southern US to treat testicle and prostate problems as
early as the 1700s. Saw palmetto (also called Serenoa repens)
comes from a palm tree whose berries contain substances which
are active against male hormones. In men with urinary symptoms
due to an enlarged prostate, the substance has improved both the
symptoms and the urine flow in a number of studies. Side-effects
were mild, and symptoms were improved by about 25 per cent. This
effect is comparable to some prescription drugs.
There are many herbal remedies. Some have been used as traditional
remedies for centuries while others are promoted without any evidence
or tradition to support their use and effectiveness. Always discuss
use of these types of natural products with your doctor and with
your pharmacist. Some reading resources on this topic are provided
at the end of this book.
Relaxation
and Meditation
Looking after your emotional well being may be as important as
ensuring you look after your body. Techniques for doing this,
include meditation, relaxation and visualisation. However, some
may suggest that regular exercise, fishing and other enjoyable
past times can be as effective. Addressing issues that concern
or worry you may also be an important part of reducing stress.
Making contact with others through prostate cancer self-help groups
may also be useful.
Massage
and Bodywork
There is much evidence that massage and other forms of touching
have positive effects on anxiety, pain, ease of movement and blood
pressure. We intuitively feel that human touch is good. There
are many kinds of massage therapies and other forms of touching
such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch.
Illness can have an impact on your life in many different ways.
Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms have an impact on quality of life,
not quantity of life. For these symptoms, it is the inconvenience
more than anything else, that has an effect on your quality of
life. In fact it is inconvenience, or bother which will help you
decide whether you want treatment or not. The side-effects of
treatment are usually minimal.
At
the other end of the spectrum is prostate cancer, where the condition,
although not usually causing symptoms, is potentially life threatening.
It is the side-effects of the treatment, such as incontinence
and loss of erections (that can impact on your quality of life)
as well as the psychological impact of knowing that you have a
cancer. The need to make complicated treatment decisions for which
there are no certain answers does not help either.
Important
*
Acknowledge your diagnosis, accept it and build a plan to deal
with it.
* Have a strong positive attitude and plan for the future: some
long and short-term goals.
* Allow yourself to be loved and pass that love on.
* Laugh a lot, and keep hope in your heart.
* Put your body in a position of advantage, look after your diet,
exercise and learn to relax.
* Surround yourself with love and the support of others and you
will live longer, happier and be more fulfilled. You have some
good years left yet!
