Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Naturopathic Medicine
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Naturopathic Medicine for NHL
Naturopathic medicine can support you on many levels during your non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treatment.
Naturopathic medicine uses non-invasive, non-toxic therapies to strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself. When used properly during NHL treatment, naturopathic therapies can strengthen your immune system, boost your energy level, and reduce treatment-related side effects.
Naturopathic Therapies During NHL Treatment
When you arrive at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), you’ll meet with a naturopathic oncology provider, who is part of your overall NHL care team. Your naturopath will review your medical history and diagnostic tests, including imaging and laboratory tests.
Then, together, you and your naturopath will develop a plan that supports your conventional NHL treatments. Your individualized plan may include any of the following natural therapies:
- Nutritional supplements (e.g., vitamins)
- Botanical medicine (e.g., herbs)
- Homeopathic medicines
- Acupuncture
- Auricular acupressure
- Hydrotherapy
- Detoxification therapies
- Essential oils (e.g., aromatherapy inhalers or topical products)
Throughout your NHL treatment, your naturopath will collaborate with your oncologists and other care team members to monitor your supplement and vitamin intake to ensure safety with potential drug-herb and drug-nutrient interactions.
Managing Potential Side Effects with Naturopathic Therapies
NHL and its treatments can affect the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, bladder, and nervous system in different ways, causing a variety of symptoms. These side effects can interfere with your treatment regime and, ultimately, your healing.
Naturopathic interventions can help keep these side effects under control. The following are some examples:
- Cardiotoxicity: Since some NHL treatments can damage your heart muscle, your naturopath may use certain antioxidants, herbal medicines, or amino acids to help support the heart muscle.
- Cytopenia: NHL treatments commonly lower blood cell counts, called cytopenia. Your naturopath may suggest various nutritional products, homeopathics, and sometimes acupuncture to help raise blood counts.
- Neuropathy: Some NHL treatments may cause numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, called peripheral neuropathy. Your naturopath may use certain amino acids, essential fatty acids, herbs, or vitamin complexes to help protect your nervous system.
- Mucositis: Certain NHL treatments may damage the cells lining the mouth, resulting in mouth sores, or mucositis. Your naturopath may recommend different mouth rinses, nutritional supplements, and/or a baking soda/sea salt mouth rinse to improve the healing mechanisms of the mouth.
- Fatigue: Lack of energy is a common side effect of many cancers and their treatments, not just NHL. Your naturopath may recommend a variety of vitamin and nutrient combinations, different herbs, and homeopathic remedies to help combat fatigue.
- Nausea: Some chemotherapies and immunotherapies for NHL may cause nausea. Your naturopath may recommend herbs such as ginger, acupuncture treatments, acupressure, wrist bands, homeopathics, and aromatherapy to ease nausea.
- Diarrhea: Some NHL patients experience diarrhea during treatment. Your naturopath may use certain amino acids, nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, or herbs to minimize diarrhea.
- Constipation: Your naturopath may recommend diet and lifestyle interventions, fiber supplements, herbal laxatives, essential fatty acids, stool softeners, hydrotherapy, homeopathy or acupuncture to ease this symptom.
- Skin Rash: Your naturopath can provide various topical creams or ointments and other remedies to relieve skin irritation caused by certain NHL treatments like radiation therapy.
After your NHL treatment is complete and you return home, the naturopathic oncology team will continue to be available to address any underlying health issues and help prevent recurrence.
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