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How Ayurveda Helps with Cancer Rehabilitation

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Rehabilitation is a vital component of comprehensive cancer care, providing hope and practical support to patients throughout their treatment journey. It aims to help the patients regain their physical, emotional, and social well-being during and after treatment. Along with conventional cancer care, Ayurveda serves as a complementary healing method for improving patient wellness through cancer rehabilitation. It is a comprehensive approach, beginning with risk assessment and targeting recovery and maintenance through diet, lifestyle changes, and Panchakarma therapies. It is a multi-disciplinary one-stop solution for cancer rehabilitation in which various healthcare professionals from diverse streams can tackle the unique problems of cancer patients. There are 6 major stages of Cancer or Oncology rehabilitation in Integrative Cancer Care (ICC): Primary Risk Prevention, Secondary Prevention, Adjuvant Care, Tertiary Prevention, Cancer Survivorship, and End-of-life Care.
In cases of breast cancer rehabilitation, there will be more frequent instances when the patients require some specialised care during the time of recovery.
In this blog, let’s discuss how Ayurveda, specifically AyurVAID, developed Integrative Cancer Care (ICC): the merging of Ayurveda with conventional cancer therapies that offers enhanced outcomes with a quality lifestyle for the patients.

Cancer Rehabilitation – Integrative Approach

Various research studies have evidenced that interventions which emphasise symptom control and quality of life will likely result in better treatment outcomes. Cancer rehabilitation employs physiotherapy and Ayurveda, providing an integrative approach. Physiotherapy restores mobility, strength, and function after treatment, whereas Ayurveda improves overall well-being through Panchakarma, diet therapy, herbal medicine, and lifestyle modification.
Cancer rehabilitation physical therapy employs numerous techniques tailored to the needs of patients (including breast cancer rehabilitation). These may include therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, electrotherapy, laser therapy, and psychosocial interventions. These mechanisms are integrated with Ayurveda to provide a complete recovery and uplift the quality of life of a cancer patient. They enhance strength, flexibility, endurance, and mobility after surgery.
This integrative approach addresses pain, fatigue, and emotional distress in cancer patients. It also aims for better patient outcomes and a more comprehensive rehabilitation experience that provides monitoring, reduces the risk of cancer relapse or spread, and removes residual symptoms.

Role of AyurVAID in Rehabilitation

AyurVAID’s ICC is an integral part of cancer rehabilitation. It predicts the likelihood of developing side effects of treatment, relieves residual symptoms such as fatigue, pain, or gastrointestinal problems

  • Decreases the likelihood of recurrence or cancer spread
  • Treats the physical and emotional aftereffects of chemotherapy
  • Facilitates functional independence and quality of life
  • Assisting management of late side effects
  • Aiding emotional health and adjustment in lifestyle
  • Encouraging regular follow-up
  • Facilitating durable strength and vitality. 

After consulting the primary oncologist, the treatment plan is customised according to the patient’s condition. We address inflammation and immunity, a host-centric approach emphasising morale-boosting, and addressing comorbidities.

Panchakarma therapies like Abhyanga, Shirodhara, and Swedana help to combat the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, besides enhancing the quality of life. Overall outcomes are positive when Ayurveda is coupled with standard cancer treatments. Clinical trials also demonstrate the benefits of integrative approaches. 

Key roles include:
Restoring balance through personalised nutrition, lifestyle changes, Ayurveda therapies, and mental well-being to support recovery, reduce side effects, and improve long-term health. Cancer and its treatment can disrupt metabolism, often leading to undernutrition or overnutrition, which fuels inflammation and weakens immunity. Our tailored nutrition plans address these imbalances and create a body microenvironment that resists tumour growth. Fatigue, anxiety, and disrupted routines are common during treatment. For this reason, we assist patients in restoring strength and stability through daily routines, emotional support, and stress management. Therapies such as Amapachana (anti-inflammatory), Agnideepana (metabolic), and Rasayana (vital recuperative) synergistically augment the healing processes and improve the quality of life. It is the integration of diet, lifestyle, medicine, and mental health that enables our model to facilitate not just survival but true recovery. From Ayurvedic treatment for lung cancer to assisting with breast cancer recovery and even during the strength-reserving phases between chemotherapy cycles, ICC support adjusts with the patient to enhance quality of life during these difficult times. Ayurveda treatments should complement, not replace, standard medical care for cancer. Our evidence-based approach also evaluates the outcomes with the help of International Standard Scales such as Karnofsky Performance status scale, mTNS score (a score on the Modified Total Neuropathy Score, a tool used to assess the severity of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), CTCAE scores (a score based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, a standardised system for grading the severity of adverse events experienced by cancer patients, including neuropathy).
Conclusion

Ayurveda is a complementary science to cancer rehabilitation and holds evidence-based treatments when incorporated with conventional therapy, leading to better outcomes. AyurVAID ICC is about individualised treatment programmes that comprehensively deal with physical and emotional healing. Panchakarma therapies, dietary changes, and internal medicine help counteract side effects caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and improve quality of life.

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References

Buch, M (2014). ROLE OF AYURVEDA IN INTEGRATED CANCER REHABILITATION: AyurVAID’s INTEGRATED CANCER REHABILITATION PROGRAM (ICRP) – A ROLE MODEL. link
Siqueira, V V V, Siqueira, A L L G d (2023). THE PERFORMANCE OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOSARCOMA AND OTHER ONCOLOGICAL CONDITIONS. Health and Society. link
Guru, K et al. (2012). A Comprehensive Review of Head and Neck Cancer Rehabilitation: Physical Therapy Perspectives. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 18, 87 – 97. link
Chouhan, P. N. (2023). Chaturavidh Nigrah Hetav in the Cancer Management: A Brief Review. International Journal of Green and Herbal Chemistry, 12(3), 209-222. link
Arnold JT. Integrating ayurvedic medicine into cancer research programs part 1: Ayurveda background and applications. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Mar-Apr;14(2):100676. link
What is the role of Ayurveda in rehabilitation?
Ayurveda helps in managing side effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation, and mucositis caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, besides the white blood cell count. Panchakarma therapies negate chemotherapy and radiation-induced side effects on the body system and enhance the quality of life.
What is the cancer rehabilitation approach?
Cancer/Oncology rehabilitation deals with a full recovery approach addressing physical and emotional recovery. It deals with physiotherapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/swallowing therapy, psychological support, strategies for pain management, and nutritional counselling to allow the patient to manage their recovery and nutrition.
What are the tips for cancer recovery?
Recovery from cancer should be comprehensive and integrative, with appropriate physical, emotional, and nutritional support for the patient. That would include a balanced diet to strengthen the immune system, regular activity as advised by the healthcare provider to boost one's energy and overcome fatigue following treatments, stress management, and especially moral support from family members and healthcare providers.
Is Ayurvedic treatment effective?
Yes. Ayurveda therapies such as Panchakarma (Abhyanga, Shirodhara, etc), and Rasayana (rejuvenation) can alleviate side effects and enhance symptoms and quality of life. Psychological support and stress management can be obtained simultaneously by boosting the body's natural immunity through Ayurveda therapies. Ayurveda treatments should enhance, not replace, standard medical care for cancer.

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