• Complementary therapies

    Complementary therapies are used in conjunction with conventional treatments and are increasingly considered an important part of supportive care. Some complementary therapies have been scientifically tested; others do not have strong evidence to support their use.

    These therapies are sometimes called complementary medicine, holistic therapies, natural therapies, traditional therapies or traditional medicine. Integrative medicine is when conventional treatments are combined with evidence-based complementary therapies. Complementary therapies may:

    • Help patients cope better with symptoms of cancer and side effects caused by conventional treatments
    • Improve a patient’s well-being throughout the different stages of treatment and recovery
    • Provide comfort and relief for people having palliative care

    Complementary therapies are usually safe when you see qualified practitioners who have an understanding of the needs of people with cancer. However, you should weigh up the pros and cons of using these therapies, and discuss your decision with your doctor, to minimise the risk of any problems.

    Complementary therapies include:

    • Nutritional and dietary approaches: supplements, Gerson diet, macrobiotic diet, coenzyme Q10, omega-3 fish oils, biological products.
    • Herbal supplements: ginseng, black cohosh, red clover
    • Mind-body therapies: imagery, psychotherapy, meditation, spiritual healing, prayer, hypnosis
    • Manipulative and body based therapies: acupuncture, massage, reflexology, chiropractic
    • Traditional whole medicine systems: naturopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine
    • Energy Medicine: reiki, therapeutic touch, qi gong

    Source: NSW Cancer Council and Cancer Institute NSW 

    Resources

    More information on complementary therapies 

    NSW Cancer Council - Understanding complementary therapies (PDF 1.4MB)