Cancer Care and Acupuncture

Acupuncture Supportive Care with Cancer Treatments

Cancer and its treatments have many difficult effects. Acupuncture can help you negotiate your cancer journey.

Acupuncture is used alongside your cancer treatments, supporting your individual needs throughout the process. It can help ease the side effects of treatment, such as fatigue, nausea, and pain, while also addressing the emotional challenges that often accompany a diagnosis, prognosis, recovery and long-term health. Creating a safe space to treat and support you.

Every person’s experience with cancer is unique. How you respond physically, emotionally, and mentally depends on your individual makeup, the nature of your diagnosis, and the circumstances surrounding you. Your support network, work commitments, family responsibilities, and personal resilience all shape how you cope with what lies ahead.

Five Element Acupuncture here to help

Your Five Element type may affect how you manage your way forward see more at –     https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/acupuncture-five-elements/              

As your acupuncturist, I am here to help you with what you need at different stages of your treatment, recovery or how you manage your cancer and treatments in Body, Mind and Spirit.

Cancer treatments include

• Surgery
• Systemic anti-cancer treatments (SACT) (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted biological therapies)
• Radiotherapy
• Hormonal treatments.

Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

In my practice over the years, I have treated and helped patients at many stages and issues of their cancer and treatments.

Helping with side effects such as:

• Peripheral Neuropathy during and after cancer treatment
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Swallowing difficulties and digestive issues
• Taste disturbance
• Hair loss
• Pain,swelling, lymphoedema
• Dry mouth 
• Hormonal challenges – hot flushes, sweats, loss of libido
• Skin changes
• Fatigue from cancer and treatments – surgery, radiotherapy, chemo, immunotherapy and hormonal therapies
• Sleep problems
• Nail changes
• Breathlessness
• Bladder and bowel dysfunction
• Anxiety, depression and fear 
• As well as treating other conditions you already have 

Cancer Treatments can have a significant effect on your emotional health. Let Traditional Five Element Acupuncture help you negotiate this. Each person is affected differently, one of the beauties of acupuncture ,as we help each person with their individual journey.

• Anxiety
• Body image concerns
• Cognitive/emotional/social fatigue
•  Depression
• End-of-life anxiety
•  Fear of recurrence
•  Financial pressures
• Hopelessness
•  Inability to plan for the future
•  Loss of:  confidence, control, meaning and purpose, motivation, role/vocation,
• Psychosexual issues
•  Relationship changes

With my experience and the healing principles of Traditional Five Element Acupuncture, I offer each individual holistic and personalised care.

My Nursing Experience

Before I became an acupuncturist, I worked as an Enrolled Nurse on a medical ward specialising in Haematology, where I treated patients with leukaemias, lymphomas, and cancers.  Even though much of cancer treatment has changed over the years. It is still very rough treatment to have, and I feel my experience over many years working in the NHS setting affects how I can grasp some of what a person is going through.

Combining my nursing experience with my Traditional Five Element Acupuncture training and experience, I have much to give in helping patients with their life and cancer care.

Cancer Diagnosis and Life ongoing

Cancer treatment can take over your life, leaving little room for anything else. During treatment, the structured schedule and support systems often provide a sense of direction, helping you navigate each step with a plan in place.

But when treatment ends or the cancer stabilises, that structure can suddenly vanish. This transition can feel disorienting and emotionally challenging.

Traditional Five Element Acupuncture offers gentle, holistic support to help you move through this phase. It’s here to guide you in rebuilding balance, restoring energy, and finding your way forward.

Acupuncture Treatment 

Therefore wherever you are on your cancer and treatment, acupuncture can help so contact Hannah Charles of Southwell Acupuncture Clinic at – https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/contact/

Traditional Five Element Acupuncture treats with fine needles and also Moxibustion, burning the herb moxa on the acupuncture points. This may be used alone or with needling. Sometimes, when a patient is very sensitive during cancer treatments, moxa alone can be gentle and healing. Acupressure can be used for gentle treatment when required.

Hannah Charles is a founder member of the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC)

The BAcC is an advocate for traditional acupuncture professionals and maintains the highest professional standards to protect the general public. BAcC members belong to an accredited register, regulated and approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health & Social Care (PSA). For More information, see the website https://acupuncture.org.uk

Acupuncture research and guidelines

Supportive Care in Cancer

https://acupuncture.org.uk/news/acupuncture-in-cancer-care/

Acupuncture attending to your needs along side your Cancer Treatments