"The Whole Story on Holistic Medicine" TUMOR TIDBITS, A BIWEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER FROM GULF COAST VETERINARY ONCOLOGY Number 94; March 28, 2003. ======================================================================= THIS WEEK'S TUMOR TIDBIT: The Whole Story on Holistic Medicine ======================================================================= What is holistic medicine? Holistic medicine is a general term for therapies directed at treating the being as a whole. Therefore, instead of treating a specific illness, holistic medicine aims to treat the overall persona, including the spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional aspects of the being. According to holistic medicine, the entire persona must be in balance in order to be in a state of health. Illness is a manifestation of imbalance. Traditional Chinese Medicine is one form of holistic medicine. What is Traditional Chinese Medicine? How is it different from Western Medicine? Traditional Chinese Medicine (also referred to as TCM), is an ancient form of medicine that originated in Chinese an estimated 5000 years ago. TCM assumes that disease is caused by an internal imbalance of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang represent complementary, interdependent, equal and opposite forces that compose everything in the body and in the world. In order to treat disease, restoration of the Yin Yang balance must be achieved. This contrasts Western medicine which approaches disease as either a result of an external cause (bacteria, virus, fungus), or as a result of breakdown of the organ systems or immune system of the body. Another one of the major dichotomies separating TCM and Western Medicine is the approach to therapy. In Western medicine, medications (chemicals) are most often used to treat or cure disease. Traditional Chinese medicine states that the body has the potential to cure its own diseases if pushed (or needled) in the correct way. In Western Medicine, patients with similar symptoms are treated in a similar fashion. In contrast, in TCM, a physician treats the whole patient and not simply the symptoms. Therefore, 2 patients with similar symptoms might receive different therapies. What are Yin and Yang? According to TCM, everything is made up of some ratio of Yin and Yang. Yin is cool, substantive, moist and descending. Yang is warm, amorphous, dry and ascending. Yin must be present for Yang to exist, and vice versa. Within the healthy body, each organ system is attributed with a balance of Yin and Yang, but some organs are more Yin, and some more Yang. The balance of Yin and Yang is not exact, and a person or pet may be more Yin (restful and quiet) at certain times, and more Yang (fiery and full of action) at other times. Normally, this shift occurs throughout the day; however, if the balance is permanently outweighed, disease results. How does an imbalance of Yin and Yang result in disease? What is acupuncture? If the body’s balance of Yin and Yang is out of balance, the body can be invaded by external pathogenic factors. In order to treat disease, a practitioner must determine the underlying imbalance of Yin and Yang and the pathogen causing disease within the body. The patient is then treated using specific acupuncture points to stimulate the body’s Qi in order to return the body to balance. Acupuncture is based on the notion that the body's vital energy force, Qi, travels through known channels or "meridians." Very thin needles are inserted at selected points on the body to unblock or correct the flow of energy. These needles are hardly felt as they are inserted and are left in place for anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. The balancing affected by acupuncture is primarily mediated via the nervous system, but other physiological mechanisms including hormonal and humoral factors are also involved. This balance in turn may be used to adjust blood flow, nervous and muscle tone, hormone levels or the function of the organs. Can acupuncture be combined with Western medicine? Can acupuncture and herbal therapy be used to treat my pet with cancer? In general, acupuncture and herbal therapies are not used as primary therapies for cancer. The standard of care for most types of cancer involves some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. A veterinary oncologist should be consulted with in order to determine the optimal treatment strategy for your pet with cancer. Acupuncture and herbal therapies can serve as an excellent supplement to these therapies by helping patients maintain their “balance” as they undergo treatment for their cancer. * Acupuncture and herbal therapy can alleviate pain after surgery to aid in the recovery process. * Acupuncture can also help wounds heal and enhance lymphatic flow to reduce swelling and lymphedema. * Acupuncture has been shown to decrease nausea and vomiting in human patients receiving chemotherapy. The NIH Consensus development panel on acupuncture stated in their1998 article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that there was, “substantial evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting.” * Acupuncture and herbal therapies can also enhance the immunes system by increasing the white blood cells that have been depleted through chemotherapy. Is my pet a candidate for acupuncture therapy? More than likely, the answer to this question is yes. Acupuncture can be used not only to restore balance, but can also be used to maintain balance between the mind, body and spirit to optimize health and prevent disease. ======================================================================= As always, we hope this info helps and don't hesitate to call or email us Gulf Coast Veterinary Oncology! Kevin A. Hahn, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology), drhahn@gcvs.com Janet K. Carreras, VMD, Diplomate ACVIM (Oncology), drcarreras@gcvs.com Glen K. King, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVR (Radiology & Radiation Therapy), drking@gcvs.com Gulf Coast Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging & Oncology 1111 West Loop South, Suite 150, Houston, TX 77027 P: 713.693.1166 F: 713.693.1167 W: www.gcvs.com ======================================================================= Copyright © 2003, Gulf Coast Veterinary Oncology