There are dozens of different types of complementary therapies. By choosing a complementary therapy to suit their particular needs, many people with cancer feel they regain some genuine control over their own health. Practitioners of complementary care usually take a holistic approach, which means you are seen as a whole person, with your body, mind and spirit all inter-related and contributing to your state of health. Rather than treating just one part of your body, it is likely that a complementary practitioner will want to know about how you feel in a broader sense.
Complementary therapists try to support cancer patients through their treatment and after.
Some people have found that complementary therapies have helped reduce the side-effects of their treatment. By focusing closely on your emotional and psychological well-being, they can also reduce stress. Although some of the complementary approaches are available through the NHS and many doctors think they can be very useful, they are not always accepted by the medical establishment. This is partly because, until recently, they have not been subject to the strict medical trials by which doctors prove a treatment works. On the other hand, very many people who have had cancer say they have felt real benefits from using them.