Nurturing Spirit Acupuncture Healing ~ Growth ~ Vitality

Acupuncture for Cancer Treatment Support

Receiving a cancer diagnosis comes with so many challenges and concerns. You may feel in shock, angry, grief-stricken, anxious, depressed, or all of the above in alternating waves. There are so many unanswered questions about what this may mean for you, your loved ones, your work, and the rest of your life.

Then there are the treatments themselves, which often involve some combination of surgery and post-surgical rehabilitation, chemotherapy, radiation, and possibly long-term medications. Many of these treatments have with significant, unpleasant side effects that can seriously impact your quality of life.

Fortunately, acupuncture can be incredibly supportive for patients coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment. At my Dupont Circle office in Washington, DC, I offer gentle and compassionate acupuncture and acupressure care for oncology patients. Virtual sessions are also available for anyone located in Virginia or Washington, DC.

If you are a cancer patient, acupuncture can help you at any point in your journey. When you have just been diagnosed and are preparing for treatment, acupuncture can help to reduce stress and anxiety. During active treatment, acupuncture can reduce the intensity of side effects like nausea, low appetite, fatigue, pain, digestive upset, mouth ulcers, low blood cell counts, and peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness in hands and feet). As you are recovering from a course of treatment, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help you rebuild your strength, regain mobility, and strengthen your immune system. When treatment is concluded, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can provide stress management and guidance on healthy lifestyle choices so that you can maintain your health going forward.

I have received advanced training from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine Service and have helped many cancer patients manage the physical and emotional effects of their illness. Having witnessed my own mother's 12 year struggle with cancer, I feel deep compassion for my oncology patients. I wish my family had known about the benefits of acupuncture when my mother was ill, and I am happy to be able to offer those benefits to others now.

If possible, it is a good idea to schedule your first appointment before you start chemotherapy or radiation so that you will not be unduly fatigued by the process of giving your health history during your first visit.

Once in active chemotherapy treatment, my patients get the best results when they schedule regular acupuncture sessions sometime in the three days prior each chemo treament.

Testimonial:

***Kate was a vital element in my healthcare team while I was battling cancer in 2014. I believe that our sessions while I was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation made all the difference in how well I handled my cancer treatments.

Kate helped my body manage the swelling and pain that came post-surgery and during radiation. While going through chemotherapy, she was a godsend! Our sessions dealt with some of the "normal side effects" of cancer treatment that I was experiencing: headaches, muscle and joint pain, neuropathy, digestive and mouth issues, and the never-ending fatigue. Her treatments focused on helping my body be strong enough to continue fighting the good fight. Kate always remained positive, and often bolstered my spirits along with helping me find some calm amongst the chaos.
R.S.

patients undergoing cancer treatment often report that acupuncture helps them to:

• Experience less nausea and vomiting
• Feel less fatigued
• Get relief from body aches and joint pains
• Experience less diarrhea and constipation
• Have better appetite
• Have fewer mouth sores
• Keep their blood cell counts in a healthier range
• Experience less pain from peripheral neuropathy and/or recover from it faster
• Feel relief from post-surgical pain
• Speed up skin recovery from radiation damage
• Feel more calm and relaxed and less anxious
• Experience less depression