Caring For The Carers: Acupuncture and Cancer Survivors Month
By Beverley de Valois, Acupuncturist, phD, LicAc, FBAcC, Uxbridge
Managing Stress and Burnout Through Acupuncture
June is Cancer Survivors Month and Sunday 7 June is Cancer Survivors Day. This a time to increase awareness of the challenges people with cancer face. These may be the new challenges of diagnosis, of undergoing treatment, or of adapting to the new normal of life after cancer treatment. A “survivor” is defined as anyone living with a history of cancer - from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life” https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/survivorship .
Did you know that “family members, friends, and caregivers are also considered part of the survivorship experience”? Few people realise that those around them may be profoundly affected by a loved one’s diagnosis and treatment. This needs to be recognised, for the health and quality of life of everyone involved.
How are those that surround a person with cancer affected? Increased stress is an obvious consequence of the cancer experience – for the person with the diagnosis and for family and friends surrounding them. Accompanying the person to medical appointments, waiting for test results, witnessing the side effects of cancer treatments all take their toll. As does living with uncertainty. And this typically continues for weeks and months as the cancer is treated. This may impact sleep, mood, and the performance of everyone involved. It may also put a strain on relationships, at a time when everyone needs to be as supportive as they possible can be.
Additionally, strong emotions such as fear, worry, anxiety and anger may be experienced by family and friends. There may be few outlets to express these difficult feelings. And individuals close to or caring for a person with cancer may neglect their own health concerns when they are so focussed on a loved one’s treatment.
The Benefits of Acupuncture for Cancer Carers
While family members, friends and caregivers are considered to be part of the survivorship experience, cancer services offer little supportive care for these “survivors”. In the media and in mainstream healthcare, there is little discussion of the impact on those supporting people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. How can these carers be helped?
Having acupuncture treatment can benefit the person with or recovering from cancer treatment. It can also benefit those surrounding that person. Research reports that informal carers, such as those caring for people with cancer, experience high rates of stress, fatigue and burnout; acupuncture is an effective therapy to help alleviate physiological and psychological symptoms, boost energy, and improve sleep for these individuals [1]. A study, which explored the acceptability of acupuncture among caregivers, highlighted that they would use it to manage pain, fatigue, stress, lack of mental wellbeing and stress [2].
Acupuncture can help manage stress, improve sleep, and help people to deal with strong emotions. It may offer respite from the worries and burden of the cancer experience. It can also help everyone involved to cope much better with the many challenges associated with cancer.
Get In Touch!
Bridge to Health’s Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors Clinic in Uxbridge is a place where people can come for relief and respite from the burden of caring. Dr Beverley de Valois can help those helping people with cancer gain better understanding of and insight into the experiences of both the carer and the person with cancer. With three decades of experience of working with people with cancer, she has great experience and deep understanding of the challenges people face, and of how acupuncture can help.
If you are a person affected by a loved one’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, make an appointment now. It will help you and help your loved one. You will feel better, and so will they.
Find out more about:
- Cancer Survivors Day https://ncsd.org/about-us/
- Dr Beverley de Valois www.beverleydevalois.com
Find out more about the Acupuncture for Cancer Survivors clinic at Bridge to Health Uxbridge https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/beverley-devalois
Book an appointment with Beverley de Valois online at https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/booking or contact Kate Daley on 01895 200050.
References:
1. Sørensen RW, Andersen NI, Dieperink KB. NADA Acupuncture in Specialized Palliative Care: Patients' and Family Caregivers' Experiences. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2024 Jul;68(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.03.017. Epub 2024 Mar 24. PMID: 38522805.
2. Tack L, Lefebvre T, Blieck V, et al. Acupuncture as a complementary therapy for cancer care: acceptability and preferences of patients and informal caregivers. Innovations in Acupuncture and Medicine. 2021 Apr;14(2):67-74.
