Going through cancer and cancer treatments is extremely hard physically, emotionally, and mentally. The current treatments for cancer are extremely aggressive and can leave cancer patients feeling worn out and hopeless. Chiropractic care cannot cure cancer, but it can help reduce pain and possibly improve quality of life.
Cancer and Chiropractic Care Testimonials
An article published in the 2001 issue of Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed two cases in which cancer patients sought chiropractic care for decreased pain and better quality of life. The first patient was a 57-year old man in the later stages of terminal pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer treatments were not able to save him. In his remaining time, he chose to receive regular chiropractic care and found that his pain was significantly less, and he was able to reduce some of his medications. Chiropractic care was able to temporarily improve the quality of his life in his remaining days.
The second patient was a 54-year old man who was recovering from surgery for his lung cancer. The patient had chronic back pain and had not found relief after one year of treatment. Then, the patient began to see a chiropractor for his back pain and was able to stop his pain medication after only two adjustments.
How Does Chiropractic Care Work for Cancer Patients?
Chiropractic care does not directly treat the patient’s cancer or pain. Instead, the goal is adjusting the spine and allow the spine to work optimally. Regular adjustments can help a patient’s body to work at their maximum potential.
According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, chiropractic care as a complementary health service during cancer treatments can help the following:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Sciatic nerve pain
- Painful walking
- Nausea
- Neuropathy (pain or numbness in the hands and feet)
- Fatigue
Chiropractic care keeps the spine healthy, which then allows the nervous system and immune system to work optimally. So, while the cancer may never go away, individuals could experience better health and less pain, compared to if they never had chiropractic adjustments in the first place. It is important to note that especially in the case of cancer, any sort of viable pain relief option should be taken very seriously by the medical community. Chiropractic care aims to be that beacon of relief when the pain is at its worse.