Naturopathic Medicine for Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal Cancer Treatment: Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is one of several supportive therapies offered during laryngeal cancer treatment at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). By working with experienced naturopathic practitioners, our physicians can help you explore how naturopathic medicine may help improve your well-being, reduce traditional treatment side effects and strengthen you in your overall fight against laryngeal cancer.

What is naturopathic medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary healthcare. While it is not a licensed healing art in every state, it is an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness.

As suggested by its name, naturopathic medicine focuses on using all-natural, noninvasive methods to both treat and prevent laryngeal cancer. At CTCA, our naturopathic practitioners consult with our oncologists to ensure that the treatments they recommend best complement the conventional treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation therapy) you are receiving. All naturopathic methods used for laryngeal cancer treatment at CTCA are consistent with the principles below, and are chosen based on an individualized analysis of your needs.

1. The healing power of nature: Naturopathic medicine centers around the inherent ability of the body to establish, maintain and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The naturopathic practitioner's role is to facilitate and augment the natural healing process, identify and remove obstacles to your health and recovery and to support the creation of a healthy internal and external environment for you throughout your laryngeal cancer treatment.
2. First do no harm: Naturopathic practitioners use methods and medicinal substances to help treat laryngeal cancer and minimize the risk of harmful side effects of conventional treatment (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation). These experienced professionals respect and work with the healing power of nature. Their therapeutic actions should be complementary to and synergistic with the healing process.
3. Doctor as teacher: Naturopathic practitioners recognize the inherent therapeutic value of a healthy doctor-patient relationship. Moving beyond mere diagnosis and prescription, the doctor (or in this case, naturopathic practitioner) must work to create a healthy rapport with you. He or she must understand you, providing the encouragement and support you need to fight laryngeal cancer, as well as take responsibility for your health.
4. Treat the whole person: Health and disease result from a complex set of factors, such as physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental and social influences. Naturopathic medicine recognizes the harmonious functioning of all aspects of you as being essential to health. The multifactorial nature of health and disease requires a personalized and comprehensive approach to laryngeal cancer treatment, focused on treating the whole patient—not just the cancer.
5. Prevention: Prevention is the ultimate goal of naturopathic medicine. Through education and promotion of healthy lifestyle habits, we can help you achieve a healthy balance. The naturopathic practitioner considers risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to laryngeal cancer. The emphasis is on building your health. Because it is difficult to be healthy in an unhealthy world, it is the responsibility of both you and your care team to create a healthier living environment.

Naturopathic practice

Naturopathic practitioners are trained to be primary care physicians. Some choose to emphasize particular treatment methods (see below). Others may concentrate on particular medical fields, such as pediatrics, gynecology and allergies. Even though it has its own therapeutic specialties, naturopathic medicine incorporates the natural therapies of many different healing traditions. What makes a therapy part of the naturopathic scope of practice is the way it is applied (i.e., on the basis of the naturopathic principles of healing). At CTCA, we may incorporate any of the following naturopathic practices into your laryngeal cancer treatment plan:

• Clinical nutrition: That "food is the best medicine" is a cornerstone of naturopathic practice. Some medical conditions can be treated with fewer complications and side effects with foods and nutritional supplements than they can by other means. Likewise, nutritional support is an important component of laryngeal cancer treatment at CTCA.
• Botanical medicine: Many natural plant substances are powerful medicines. Where single, chemically derived drugs may address only one problem, botanical medicines are often able to help the body address a variety of problems simultaneously. The organic nature of botanical medicines is often naturally compatible with the body's chemistry. They are often gentler on your system and have less toxic side effects.
• Physical medicine: Naturopathic medicine has its own methods of therapeutic manipulation of muscles, bones and the spine. Naturopathic practitioners may use ultrasound, diathermy (the controlled production of "deep heating" beneath the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, deep muscles and joints for therapeutic purposes), exercise, massage, water, heat and cold, and gentle electrical therapies.
• Eastern medicine: Also known as Oriental medicine, Eastern medicine is a healing philosophy which shares many of the same beliefs as naturopathic medicine. Meridian theory offers an important understanding of the unity of the body and mind, and adds to the Western understanding of physiology. Acupuncture provides a method of laryngeal cancer treatment that can unify and harmonize the imbalances present in disease conditions. In turn, this can help stimulate the immune system and healing response.
• Psychological medicine: Mental attitudes and emotional states may influence laryngeal cancer. Counseling, nutritional balance, stress management, hypnotherapy, biofeedback and other therapies are used to help laryngeal cancer patients heal psychologically.
• Homeopathic medicine: Homeopathy is based on the principle of "like cures like." Clinical observation indicates that it works on a subtle, yet powerful, energetic level. It can gently act to strengthen the body's immune response and trigger a healing process.

Next Topic: Mind-Body Medicine for Laryngeal Cancer