Complementary therapies
Many people turn to complementary therapies in an effort to ease symptoms or side effects from treatment, but it’s essential that before trying any such therapies you speak to your healthcare team first so they can help determine if these approaches are safe and compatible with existing medical treatments.
Common complementary and alternative medicine practices include acupuncture, massage therapy, deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation or transcendental meditation, music therapy and guided imagery. Other practices focusing on body energy such as qi gong, yoga and tai chi may also reduce stress while improving mood and quality of life in cancer patients. Studies indicate these therapies could potentially lower stress and improve quality of life for their users.
These therapies are known as complementary because they supplement or add to the medicine prescribed by your doctor; in contrast to alternative medicine which uses its own methods instead.
Contrary to conventional medicines, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products and practices may not have been rigorously tested for safety or effectiveness and could therefore interfere with how your medications work. Be sure to ask a practitioner about their therapy as well as their qualifications – also consider checking whether you can claim any costs from complementary therapy with your health insurer; always inform any complementary therapist of any medications you’re currently taking prior to scheduling an appointment.
Complementary diets
Complementary diets aim to provide patients with nutrient-rich foods that can aid them in treating their condition. This approach may form part of an integrated treatment plan and include dietary modifications, herbal remedies or other naturopathic therapies; in addition a naturopathic nutritionist will often devise an eating plan specifically tailored to each patient’s nutritional requirements; they may recommend restricting food sources that contain high amounts of sugar, salt and trans fats while avoiding processed and packaged food products.
Interventions have been developed to support breast milk replacement during this time, including fortified complementary foods (CFs), supplementary feeding programs and dietary counselling (4). Their efficacy has been studied through efficacy trials and programme studies; among the strategies assessed were key educational messages, fortified or unfortified CFs with or without fortification, as well as increasing energy density of these CFs being most successful at aiding growth.
Complementary feeding from 6 months to 24 months of age is a crucial period for ensuring optimal growth and development as well as optimal health and behavioral outcomes (3). Complementary foods tend to be more energy dilutable than breast milk and do not meet all a child’s nutrient requirements – therefore supplementation with additional animal-source foods must occur to fill any voids in CF diet.
Complementary medicines
Natural products, like herbs, are used as complementary medicines. Acupuncture and reflexology also fall under this category of therapy; both may be combined with conventional medical treatments like pain relievers or chemotherapy to minimize side effects and help minimize discomfort. Unfortunately, however, these practices do not meet standards of treatment as less research has been conducted into them than on other forms of medicine.
Conventional medicine or mainstream medicine is the mainstay of medical school training and practice within hospitals, offering medicines, surgeries and lifestyle adjustments as possible solutions.
The National Health and Medical Research Council has developed a resource designed to aid clinicians in engaging with their patients about complementary medicine (Resource). It aims to promote informed decisions by helping healthcare providers discuss its potential advantages and drawbacks with their patients.
Before trying any complementary medicines, consult with your physician first. Some can interact with prescribed drugs and alter how they work – for instance echinacea can decrease the effectiveness of some antibiotics and antipsychotics; Ginkgo biloba can increase bleeding with blood thinners; St John’s Wort can decrease effectiveness of some antidepressants and HIV medications; research is limited, however further information about certain products can be found through Cochrane Database(external link); some products are registered by Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods(external link); while some are registered by Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods(external link).
