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This year it is expected that there will be about 140,000 new cancer diagnoses among Australians, representing about 0.6% of the population. As we age, the chances of being diagnosed go up, and for those of us who reach the age of 85, fully half will have been diagnosed with some form of cancer.<\/p>\n
For healthcare practitioners, this means that some of the clients we see will be either living with cancer or in remission from it. The most common forms of cancer are prostate, breast, bowel, melanoma and lung. These five forms account for 60% of all cases.<\/p>\n
For all of us, contact with someone living with cancer is common. Who has not had a friend or family member touched by cancer?<\/p>\n
Western medicine has a system of treatments for cancer that usually involve surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. These treatments are saving and extending lives. However these treatments impose great strains upon the body, particularly on the immune system. Complementary therapies are well placed to assist these treatments by supporting the immune system, detoxifying the body, and accelerating the healing processes.<\/p>\n
Acupressure is one of form of complementary therapy that can provide powerful support to those living with cancer. It addresses the energy system that underlies all organs, systems and functions in the body as well as the emotional, psychological and spiritual levels of human life.<\/p>\n
My senior students and I are currently engaged in a program at the Cancer Care Centre in Adelaide in which we are working with clients who are currently living with or are in remission from cancer. Some of these people are in the final stages of their lives. It is a great privilege to work with people who are facing this most challenging of life experiences.<\/p>\n
In preparing for this program, I wrote a short paper suggesting some of the ways we can work with such clients. I include a modified version of these notes here so that others can make use of this powerful energy work to support their clients, friends and loved ones.<\/p>\n
Where acupoints are noted, there are links to previous blogs where available. Where there is no link, you can find point locations with an internet search.<\/em><\/p>\n Contraindications<\/strong><\/p>\n Acupressure is a very gentle modality and there are few contraindications. But we need to check first if there are any tumours, sites of recent surgery, radiation burns or other conditions that mean we can\u2019t touch a certain area. Before you put your hands on your client, find out if there are any such areas of the body that need to be avoided, or where work is not wanted.<\/p>\n Gentleness<\/strong><\/p>\n This style of work lends itself to working lightly. A light touch is the first place to begin. It may become clear that a firmer pressure is appropriate, but begin lightly. In areas where there are tumours or there has been surgery, it may be better to avoid touch at all and work above the body with the open palm over the point. Since the meridians are bilateral, you can always work on the opposite side of the body to affect an area which you can\u2019t touch.<\/p>\n Kindness and empathy<\/strong><\/p>\n Someone who is or has been living with cancer faces a challenging future. Try to imagine how that might be. All kinds of emotional responses might arise: fear, anger, regret and so on. Work from your heart as much as you can.<\/p>\n Listening<\/strong><\/p>\n Listen carefully to your client. Follow any requests for something to be done or not to be done. Try to listen from your heart rather than your head. While we might think<\/em> of a great treatment pattern, a simple touch of a single point may feel<\/em> like the right thing.<\/p>\n Meridians that may need work<\/strong><\/p>\n Anyone who has undergone or is undergoing chemotherapy and\/or radiotherapy will have a challenged immune system. Triple Heater work can help to strengthen the defensive Qi, especially TH 5<\/a>, CV 5 and BL 22. Kidney will also need lots of attention, including BL 23<\/a>, GB 25<\/a> and KI 3<\/a>. Spleen is also involved in immunity, so consider SP 3,<\/a> SP 4<\/a>, SP 6<\/a>, SP 21<\/a>, BL 20 and LV 13. Liver work will help with detoxification, especially LV 3<\/a>. For the nausea associated with chemotherapy, HP 6<\/a> is the classic point.<\/p>\n Another approach might be to work with the Extraordinary Vessels via their master points. These vessels act as reservoirs of Qi, linking the meridian pathways into a large web-like system. Choose vessels based on their trajectories in relation to the location of cancers.<\/p>\n
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