Acupuncture For Cancer Survivors
The Role of Acupuncture In Cancer Treatment Symptoms
The first Sunday of June is Cancer Survivorship Day, and June is Cancer Survivorship Month - a time to increase awareness of the challenges people with cancer face, especially when their treatment ends. A “survivor” is anyone living with a history of cancer - from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life.
Did You Know?
1) Recovery after cancer treatment may take some time.
Many people think that the end of cancer treatment is a time when life returns to normal. However, recovery can take some time - often up to and beyond a year after treatment ends. This can be disappointing for the person with cancer, and for their family and friends. It is important to understand that recovery is a process that can be gradual, and that can take time.
2) The first year after the end of cancer treatment can be challenging.
Many people experience ongoing health issues after cancer treatment ends. These health problems are called “consequences” of cancer treatment. These consequences may be physical: fatigue, hot flushes, peripheral neuropathy (altered sensation in the hands and feet), pain, and lymphoedema are some examples. Or they may be emotional: anxiety, depression, fear of recurrence, and loss of confidence are common. Many cancer survivors experience difficulties eating, sleeping, or carrying out the functions we would normally expect our body to perform.
3) There may be ongoing consequences of treatment.
Late and long-term effects of cancer treatment may occur – examples include radiation induced fibrosis, or lymphoedema. New symptoms may arise, even years after cancer treatment ends, and new primary cancers are now a possible long-term consequence of successful treatment of the initial cancer.
4) Acupuncture can help to manage the short-term, late, and long-term consequences of cancer treatment.
Acupuncture is a safe, effective treatment that can work alongside usual cancer treatments to help manage unpleasant consequences of treatment. Many research studies have demonstrated it can help to manage many of the consequences of cancer treatments. It also offers cancer survivors a non-pharmacological option for managing both physical and emotional consequences.
5) Nearly everyone in the UK knows a cancer survivor.
A 2022 survey on cancer awareness and attitudes reported that 86% of those surveyed knew at least one person who had been diagnosed with cancer. This may be someone in the immediate or wider family, or a friend or acquaintance.
Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic in Uxbridge
Bridge to Health Uxbridge is one of the first places in the UK to offer a focused “Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors” clinic. Beverley de Valois PhD has been described as the acupuncture authority on cancer survivorship in the UK and the West. She says:
“My mission is to increase awareness of the challenges cancer survivors face after completing treatments for cancer (surgery, systemic anti-cancer treatments, radiotherapy) and to promote awareness of how acupuncture can help. It's important to spread the word that acupuncture is a safe, effective, evidence-informed, non-pharmacological option that can be offered to cancer survivors experiencing the consequences of cancer treatment. This passion has underpinned and driven my 26-year career as a practising acupuncturist in the UK, and as a research acupuncturist in the NHS”.
Acupuncture For Cancer Survivorship Testimonials
Testimonials about how acupuncture helped people to thrive, not just survive, after cancer treatment.
Acupuncture to recover for treatment for multiple myeloma
Chaz, age 42, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2023 and chose to have acupuncture to manage the consequences of treatment. He writes:
‘After undergoing chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma, I was left dealing with ongoing fatigue, neuropathy, poor sleep, digestive issues, dry mouth, and night sweats. The neuropathy in particular caused numbness and pain in my feet, requiring daily medication. I was introduced to acupuncture through a recommendation by Myeloma UK and, although I felt anxious before my first session, I quickly felt safe and understood. Beverley took real care to tailor the treatment to my specific challenges.
Since starting acupuncture, I've seen a huge improvement in my neuropathy—my medication dosage has halved, and I’m hopeful I’ll come off it entirely. My general wellbeing has also improved: I’m sleeping better, handling infections more easily despite a compromised immune system, and I feel I’ve gained more energy and motivation. It has also really helped me manage the anxiety around returning to work and adjusting to normal life again after a long period of isolation during treatment.
I would absolutely recommend acupuncture to others recovering from cancer treatment, especially if you’re ready to approach it with an open mind.’
Acupuncture to recover from treatment for breast cancer and manage long-term and late effects
Lois Swanger was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2002 at the age of 36. Although diagnosis and treatment “knocked her for six”, she says “I was not willing to just sit there and accept the side effects, I was going to do things to help me get through that.” Lois chose to have acupuncture, rather than “popping another pill” to manage hot flushes and night sweats that were a consequence of adjuvant hormonal treatment.
Having acupuncture with Beverley de Valois not only reduced the hot flushes dramatically; her sleep and mood improved and, most importantly, she felt fully back in control of her cancer journey. Consequently, she chose to continue to have acupuncture as a means of managing her overall health and she now turns to acupuncture for a range of different conditions. More than 20 years on she still comes for acupuncture as a first port of call, seeing Beverley at Bridge to Health in Uxbridge. Lois uses acupuncture in combination with conventional medicine. “I can’t imagine life without it,” she says. “Acupuncture was definitely the right thing for me.”
Read details of how acupuncture met Lois’s changing needs over time at https://www.positivehealth.com/article/cancer/acupuncture-for-cancer-survivors-recovery-renewal-and-transformation-post-cancer-treatment
Get in touch!
If you or someone you know is struggling with cancer treatment symptoms and you would like to book an appointment with Beverley, contact Kate, our friendly receptionist, on 01895 200050 or email kate@bridgetohealth.co.uk.
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