neuropathy – Breast Cancer Authority

Exercises For Neuropathy

February 5, 2016 by Breast Cancer Authority Staff 5 Comments

Neuropathy is a common side effect of cancer treatment. Many chemotherapy’s have this effect and it can get better or last a lifetime. Treat the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and maintain quality of life with these few suggestions listed below.

Start by maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes foods rich in folates and folic acid. Folates are vital to the building and repair work in cells, including the nerve cells.

Other things that you can do to treat or manage peripheral neuropathy are:

Yoga stretches to keep healthy range of motion in our joints and circulation in our extremities.
Get a massage to help to improve circulation and decrease pain.
Visit a rehabilitation therapist to help strengthen muscles that are weak, reduce cramps and pain and improve coordination and balance.
Try acupuncture to help restore balance and control your pain and other symptoms.
Wearing support stockings and supportive, cushioned shoes.

Here are some resources that might help you better understand how to treat and manage peripheral neuropathy:

Daily Health News article on Natural Cures for Painful Neuropathy
Cancer Supportive Care programs publication on Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Fact Sheet
American Cancer Society’s support and treatment information on Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Chemotherapy
University of Virginia Health System’s Peripheral Neuropathy and Vitamin B6

I hope that you find this helpful and something that you can refer to.

blessing,

About Jean Di Carlo Wagner: Owner of Yogabeing.net
E-RYT200, E-RYT500 certified with Yoga Alliance
Yoga Therapist with International Alliance of Yoga Therapists
Atma Yoga Teacher Training, certified 500 hours Los Angeles
A Gentle Way Yoga, certified 200 hours
Silver Age Yoga, certified 200 hours

Filed Under: Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, Featured Articles, Home, Jean Di Carlo-Wagner, Physical Therapy, Yoga Tagged With: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Authority, breast cancer authority blog, breast cancer neuropathy, gardening therapy for cancer, Management of cancer, neuropathy, yoga for breast cancer, yoga for neuropathy

Products to Reduce Chemotherapy Side Effects and Improve Comfort and Quality of Life

November 12, 2015 by Breast Cancer Authority Staff 3 Comments

By Margot Malin, Founder and President of Lots To Live For, Inc.
It is a well-known fact that chemotherapy patients may experience a number of painful or uncomfortable side effects. Not as well known, however, is that there are quite a few inexpensive nonprescription products readily available which can significantly reduce these unwanted side effects and thereby improve comfort and quality of life. These products (all of them in the blog post) help to bridge the gap between conventional therapy by providing a holistic complementary approach to managing side effects of chemotherapy.

NAUSEA (technically called Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting or CINV)
Several simple products can reduce nausea. Biobands, or acupressure wrist bands are simple to use and non-invasive. The adjustable wristband has a small bead built in to it, which when positioned correctly on the underside to the wrist places a gently pressure on the P-6 accupressure point to prevent nausea before it begins. Queasy Drops are lozenges made with essential oils to help reduce nausea and are another natural way to ease a queasy stomach. They also help combat dry mouth. QueaseEase is a drug free all natural, essential oil therapy aromatic inhaler which can be discreetly carried in a purse or briefcase. When an overall sense of queasiness occurs, take a few breaths for an instant feeling of comfort and calm.

Other remedies include ginger, peppermint, teas and essential oils applied to the skin. Oncologists can also prescribe prescription medications to help combat nausea.

DRY MOUTH AND MOUTH SORES
Cancer treatments can cause dry mouth or salivary gland dysfunction and can increase the risk of oral infections. They can also cause very uncomfortable mouth sores. Mouth Kote® eases the discomfort of dry mouth. Mouth Kote® is a new class of oral moisturizer that creates a homogeneous layer in the mouth that has a viscosity and lubricity similar to saliva. Mouth Kote® is a great product because not only does it help to moisturize your mouth, it can also be swallowed and it will also moisturize your throat. OraMagic® Plus Oral Wound Rinse reduces mouth pain and soothes mouth sores. It contains benzocaine to reduce pain. Biotene oral care products include Biotene toothpaste and Biotene Oral Balance Gel which help lubricate a dry, sensitive mouth.

If your mouth is sore: (1) take small bites of food, chew slowly, and sip liquids with your meals and (2) avoid sharp, crunchy foods that could scrape or cut your mouth. It is important to see a dentist before and during treatment.

HAND FOOT SYNDROME (also called palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia) and NEUROPATHY
Hands and feet can become especially dry and uncomfortable from certain chemotherapy treatments. In fact, hands and feet can become so irritated that they can begin to crack and peel. Other symptoms may include swelling, numbing, tingling or redness. It is important to moisturize the area. Lindi Soothing Balm was formulated to treat Hand/Foot Syndrome. This product is a highly emollient treatment for intensely dehydrated areas of the skin. The Lindi Soothing Balm has an abundance of avocado oil, and is especially beneficial to painful, cracked and peeling skin. Atopalm Foot & Heel Balm has a special composition of technical and traditional ingredients that work to leave dry, cracked feet and heels feeling silkier, softer and smoother.

Topricin Pain Relief Cream is specially formulated for injuries and pains. It is patented to help neuropathy pain, a common side effect of cancer treatment. Topricin provides pain relief by improving circulation and attracting and stimulating the body’s healing chemistries at the site of the pain.

HAIR AND SCALP
The use of Thymuskin Hair Care Products, developed in Germany, may help reduce hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth if the hair is thinning, or after the hair has fallen out. The thymic peptides and enzymes in these products combined with the vitamins A, B, E and F normalize the immunologic system and provide important growth factors for the hair follicles and roots.

DRY, CRACKED AND COMPROMISED SKIN
There are many products that can help skin compromised by chemotherapy. We suggest products with natural ingredients and those that do not contain parabens or other harmful chemicals. For example, CV Skinlabs products are a natural and organic collection of luxuriously soothing and clinically proven formulas that nurture and repair skin. The four CV Skinlabs products all address a different skin issue but all work to restore moisture and soothe. My Girls™ Skin Care Cream is a plant-based, calendula cream that also contains rosemary, honey and natural oils. It is helpful for patients who want to maintain the healthy appearance of their skin, avoid delays in treatment and other potential side effects that may affect quality of life.

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
All of the products highlighted in this blog post help to alleviate some of the difficult side effects caused by chemotherapy. You may find one which improves just the right discomfort and triggers an upward inflection in your quality of life during treatment. Or, perhaps a collection of these products can help you resume a more normal lifestyle while you undergo chemotherapy. Products that reduce side effects make thoughtful and useful gifts for chemotherapy patients. Lots To Live For, Inc. has been delivering comfort to cancer patients for almost 14 years and our products have brightened many lives by helping individuals as they seek to return to their daily routines.

Related Article:

About Margot Malin: Intellectually curious and fiercely independent, Margot Malin has a passion for knowledge. After receiving her MBA from The Wharton School, she launched her career by analyzing and evaluating businesses. In 2002 she embarked on the “creative reinvention” phase of her career with the intention of “giving back”. Margot founded Lots To Live For, Inc., an internet retailer that sells carefully selected products to reduce and relieve the uncomfortable and unpleasant side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiation.

Filed Under: Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, Featured Articles, Home, Margot Malin Tagged With: Biobands, Breast Cancer Authority, breast cancer authority blog, Cancer, cancer comfort products, cancer dry mouth, cancer hair loss, cancer mouth sores, cancer patient, cancer products, cancer skin care, cancer treatment, cancer treatment side effects, chemo hair loss, chemotherapy, chemotherapy nausea, CINV, hand foot syndrome, neuropathy, Queasy Drops, side effects, Thymuskin, Topricin

6 Complementary Therapies For Managing Breast Cancer Peripheral Neuropathy During Treatment & Recovery

September 29, 2015 by Breast Cancer Authority Staff 2 Comments

Peripheral neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can cause numbness, tingling, pain, muscle weakness, and other changes. It can be caused or worsened by cancer and cancer treatment, as well as other conditions.

Neuropathy can be difficult to treat, there are some complementary therapies and lifestyle changes that may be helpful for reducing these symptoms and get patients through their cancer treatments more easily or improve their quality of life after treatment. Massage, acupuncture, and relaxation techniques may help decrease pain and reduce mental stress. These therapies can promote health, healing and symptom relief.

Massage: Studies have shown massage to be helpful for relieving pain (not specifically CIPN pain.) Massage may facilitate the healing of nerves by improving blood circulation to the affected tissues (increasing oxygen and nutrient flow.)

Amma Therapy: Aromatherapy massage studies also increases the production of natural pain-killing proteins (called, endorphins) in the tissues being massaged. Aromatherapy massage is a commonly used complementary therapy, and is employed in cancer and palliative care largely to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture has been reported to help restore nerve function in patients with CIPN. Studies have shown that acupuncture increases blood flow in the limbs (aiding in oxygenation and nutrient delivery to the affected tissues and nerves.)

Reiki: Reiki is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and keeps us healthy (mind and body.) Some studies have found that reiki provides reduction in CIPN symptoms.

Yoga: Yoga uses movement and postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama),  and meditation to achieve a connection between mind, body, and spirit. Yoga has been studied and found to provide reduction in CIPN symptoms.

Meditation: Meditation is a practice in which an individual focuses their awareness away from the distractions of the fleeting thoughts racing through our mind and onto an activity free of distraction. Meditation has been studied and found to provide reduction in CIPN symptoms.

Managing neuropathy and relieving side effects is an important part of cancer care, treatment and recovery. Many people recover fully from the disorder over time, in a few months or a few years. Your health care provider can help eliminate the cause of your neuropathy and manage symptoms with complementary therapies.

Suggested Reading: Combination Therapy for Neuropathic Pain
Featured Photo: http://www.PositiveMed.com
Article Source: Integrative Oncology Essence

About Dawn Bradford Lange: Co-founder of Breast Cancer Yoga. Dawn is making a difference with Breast Cancer Yoga therapeutic products designed to support you emotionally and physically during breast cancer . We want to give you the attention and personal service you need so please email us at info@breastcanceryoga.com if you have questions.

Filed Under: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Yoga Staff, Complementary Therapy, Featured Articles, Home, Meditation, Psychological Healing Tagged With: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Authority, breast cancer authority blog, breast cancer healing, breast cancer neuropathy, healing, Management of cancer, meditaion for neuropathy, neuropathy, yoga for neuropathy

Arsenic in Chicken

September 2, 2015 by Breast Cancer Authority Staff Leave a Comment

By: Micheal Greger, MD, Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.

Arsenic is bad stuff—no argument, but most of the arsenic in the American diet comes not from rice; more than three quarters comes from animal products. Beef, milk, pork, hot dogs, eggs, and… chicken.

Purdue is the most contaminated. One bucket of American fast food chicken may exceed the EPA safety limit for arsenic in a glass of drinking water by 2000%.

How did it get there? The poultry industry fed it to them. Two million pounds of arsenic compounds are fed to chickens every year in the United States, and about 85 tons fed to pigs. Here’s the list of arsenic-containing feed additives approved by the FDA.

But why would the industry do that? Why do we feed millions of pounds of arsenic compounds to chickens every year. Here’s one of the chemical company ads: “Livestock and profits growing healthy together.” Approved by the FDA to increase the rate of weight gain. When you cram tens of thousands of birds into filthy football field-sized sheds to lie beak to beak in their own waste they become so heavily infested with internal parasites that adding arsenic to the feed to poison the bugs can result in a dramatic increase in growth rates. It’s also approved for use to “improve pigmentation.” Arsenic can give the carcass a pinkish tinge, which consumers prefer.

So the industry gets more profit; the consumers get the pink—what’s the downside? Landmark review in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences last year out of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. What are the public health consequences of extra dietary arsenic? extra cancer risk, heart disease, diabetes, neuropathy, and neurocognitive deficits in children, not something to crow about.

Doctor’s Note

Check out
How Many Cancers Have Been Caused by Arsenic-Laced Chicken?
to learn more about this issue.

About Michael Greger M.D.Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues. Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, testified before Congress, appeared on The Dr. Oz Show and The Colbert Report, and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous “meat defamation” trial. Currently Dr. Greger proudly serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at the Humane Society of the United States.