Biofeedback and Cancer Treatment
Maria Claudia White is an enlightening case study of integrative oncology. I continue to report on her experiences as a cancer patient as told by Erin Quinn in Natural Solutions magazine.
During her conventional treatments, Maria Claudia had several sessions with a biofeedback practitioner at the University of North Carolina Biofeedback Clinic. Biofeedback monitors physiological activities through systematic measurements of muscle tension, heart rate, skin conductivity, body temperature, breathing rate, etc. With the use of high-technology sensors, patients participate in certain exercises while viewing the results of their body’s reactions in real time. They learn to recognize what the body is doing in response to various conditions and to control its functions to a great degree. This is especially helpful to cancer patients as they learn how to modulate or reduce pain, anxiety, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal issues. The goal is to make the body work as efficiently as possible with as little interference in the treatment process and as much support of the healing process as possible. Both aggressive physical exercise and serious relaxation have very positive effects on the brain and its ability to manage the body. Effective biofeedback is essential to balancing exercise and rest.
Maria Claudia believes that biofeedback was key to her stress management during treatment. She even changed the way she breathed. Her posture improved which allowed her body to perform with less restriction. When fighting cancer, the body must have every advantage in the battle. Chemotherapy and radiation only works as well as it is accepted and supported by the body. Maria Claudia credits biofeedback training as the principal ingredient in her preparation and reception of the many challenges of cancer treatment.
Most oncologists prescribe no therapies to complement the conventional. Few know enough about it to even discuss it. The war on cancer will remain in a quagmire until integrative oncology becomes the norm rather than the exception. Don’t accept an oncologist that won’t complement your treatment with customized natural therapies to enhance the conventional protocols.