Naturopathic Medicine

We understand you are looking for every available resource to fight cancer. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we offer traditional cancer treatments, as well as new and innovative cancer treatments. Yet, we don’t stop there. We understand you may need more than traditional treatments to support you in your healing journey—and to help you fight cancer on all fronts.

Naturopathic medicine makes use of time-tested natural methods to strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself. It focuses on creating a healthy environment both inside and outside the body. The Naturopathic Medicine Program at CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center aims to use the healing power of the body and nature to fight disease.

The Naturopathic Medicine Team at Southwestern

Southwestern’s naturopathic medicine team is comprised of five naturopathic practitioners. Naturopathic practitioners are specialists in natural health care who use natural therapies to support the whole person, with an emphasis on building and maintaining health.

Each of our naturopathic practitioners has a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) degree from a doctoral-level program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. They received education in therapies such as nutritional supplements (i.e., vitamins, minerals and amino acids), botanical medicine (the use of herbs), homeopathic medicine and hydrotherapy.

What makes the Naturopathic Medicine Program at Southwestern different compared to other hospitals, says Letitia Cain, Director of Naturopathic Medicine at Southwestern, is that her team specializes in oncology. “This is the only in-patient integrative oncology program that has naturopathic doctors as part of its staff,” Cain says. She adds that half of the staff has completed a two-year specialized residency program in integrative naturopathic oncology.

In addition to working together, sharing ideas and knowledge, the naturopathic medicine team works hand-in-hand with your oncologist and other members of your cancer care team, including the Nutrition Department. Since our clinicians fully support an integrative care model, and communication flows evenly throughout your care team, you are able to get the individual attention you deserve.

Your Naturopathic Medicine Assessment & Plan

Upon your arrival at Southwestern, you will have the option to meet with a naturopathic practitioner. Your naturopathic practitioner will make an assessment and will work closely with you to develop a personalized naturopathic care plan. This plan will include natural therapies—backed by scientific research—to complement your traditional cancer treatments.

The Naturopathic Medicine Department aims to complement your conventional cancer treatment in the following ways:

• Boost the body's immune system
• Decrease side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
• Improve energy and well-being
• Provide strategies for long term health maintenance

Southwestern’s naturopathic medicine team will support you throughout your entire care process. Their objective is to be proactive—to fortify you before, during and after your cancer treatment. They will try to lessen the potential side effects of cancer treatment so you can feel better as you heal. Their overall goal is to support whole-body wellness, including the immune system, digestion, sleep, energy levels, diet, exercise and spirituality.

Empowering You Through Education

The Naturopathic Medicine Department also provides an educational component as well. Programs include information about vitamin and mineral supplements, natural remedies, nutritional guidance, lifestyle changes, stress management techniques and strategies for long-term prevention of recurrence.

The Scoop on Supplements

It is important to remember that vitamins, minerals, herb and other therapies generally have a biochemical effect on your body. They may be helpful, have no effect, or even be harmful. Some supplements may interact with your medications or cancer treatments, or may be contraindicated with your cancer type. One of the roles of the Naturopathic Department at Southwestern is to educate you on the facts versus the fiction of supplements, and other natural therapies, and to help you choose wisely from the myriad of options available.

Our naturopathic practitioners have extensive experience with a wide array of natural products and therapies and are continually researching the latest supplements. Your naturopathic practitioner will monitor your supplement and vitamin intake to make sure your supplements are appropriate for you, and to ensure safety from potential drug-herb and drug-nutrient interactions. “We are committed to treating the whole person and we want to make sure our patients know which supplements are indicated and which are not,” says Cain.

There are certain natural supplements that may alleviate your nausea, for instance. Also, there may be supplements your naturopath will instruct you not to take at certain times (e.g., on the days you are receiving chemotherapy). Also, if you have difficulty swallowing pills, some of the nutritional, herbal and homeopathic supplements are available in both liquid and powder form. Once you are finished with treatment, the focus of supplements may change from fighting cancer to preventing recurrence.

As a consumer, you have the power to make informed decisions about what to put into your body. According to consumerlab.com, as many as one in four supplements is contaminated or doesn’t contain all of the promised ingredients. For this reason, CTCA carefully selects the supplement brands it offers in our hospitals.

The products available at Southwestern’s Pharmacy/Nutrition Shoppe have undergone rigorous quality assurance investigation and are considered safe when taken as recommended. In fact, many of the supplements we recommend come from our own line of highly-pure and potent vitamins, minerals and herbs, offered by Cancer Nutrition Centers of America (CNCA).

Naturopathic Therapies

Naturopathic therapies at Southwestern include the following therapeutic modalities of naturopathic medicine:

Botanical Medicine (Herbs, Minerals, and Vitamins):

Many plant substances are powerful medicines. Where single chemically-derived drugs may address only one problem, botanical medicines are able to address a variety of problems simultaneously. Their organic nature makes most botanicals compatible with the body's own chemistry; hence, they can work gently, and with few toxic side effects.

Homeopathic Medicine:

Homeopathy uses specially prepared remedies to address symptoms based on the concept of "like cures like." Clinical observation indicates that it works on a subtle, yet powerful, energetic level, gently acting to strengthen the body's immune response and triggering the healing process. Homeopathy may be recommended to support symptoms such as post-surgical recovery, nausea, constipation and diarrhea.

Clinical Nutrition:

The concept “let your food be your medicine and medicine your food" is one of the principles of naturopathic practice. Some medical conditions may be treated more effectively with foods and nutritional supplements than by other means, with fewer complications and side effects. Southwestern’s naturopathic practitioners work closely with our Nutrition Department to address your nutritional needs.

Physical Medicine:

The art of touch, massage, physical therapy and spinal manipulation are the basic tools of Naturopathic Manipulative Therapy (NMT), which is used for chronic disease, neck and back pain, and other injuries. Southwestern’s Oncology Rehabilitation Department provides physical and occupational therapy to address your physical and functional needs.

Hydrotherapy:

The use of various temperatures and applications of water is one of the traditional naturopathic treatment modalities. Applications of warm and/or cool water are used to stimulate the body’s immune system and decrease inflammation.

Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Oriental medicine is a healing philosophy that is complementary to naturopathic medicine. Our naturopathic practitioners may use acupressure and Oriental herbal medicine in their recommendations.

Psychological Medicine:

Mental attitudes and emotional states may influence, or even cause, physical illness. Southwestern’s Mind-Body Medicine Department provides counseling, stress management techniques, guided imagery, and other therapies to address your psychological needs.