One of the less common types of cancer that infects about 3,900 people each year is bone cancer. It is more common for bone cancer to develop as a secondary type of cancer instead of beginning in the bone, otherwise known as bone metastasis. Those who developed primary bone cancer are a small fraction of that percentage.
Hearing the words bone cancer means that those very rare cases are osteosarcoma or bone tumor, cancer cells that develop rapidly directly into the bone tissue, taking only the appearance of new bone cells but weakening the tissue. Unfortunately, this type of bone cancer appears in young adults and even children because it develops while they are growing. Understanding the different types of bone cancer allows you to understand conventional treatments and bone cancer natural treatment that follow so that cancer can slow down and hopefully go into remission.
Symptoms of Bone Cancer
No matter which type of osteosarcoma you develop, you will have symptoms that indicate something is wrong and more symptoms that develop after you are diagnosed. Curious about what the symptoms of bone cancer are? The most common symptoms of bone cancer include the following:
- Steady fatigue around the clock.
- Pain throughout your body, radiating from your bones.
- Swelling in the areas where there is excessive pain.
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Tenderness when you touch the pained area.
- Fever and warm feeling around the pained area.
These symptoms are all signs of bone cancer and can be related to different forms. Even once you are diagnosed and begin the treatment, these symptoms will still be present but should start reducing as treatments start to work.
With bone cancer, some traditional treatments have been used over the years in the healthcare industry. Some are generic across all types of cancers, and others are more focused on the cancer type. However, there has been a move to opt for more alternative treatment options for those suffering from bone cancer.
Traditional Bone Cancer Treatment Options
When you are first diagnosed with bone cancer, your doctor will start to discuss things like the following as the main treatment options:
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Medication
- Limb sparing surgery
These are the most common traditional treatments used for years to treat bone cancer. However, they have significant side effects that will diminish your quality of life while going through them. Nausea and fatigue are these treatments’ most common side effects, putting your body under so much stress that you cannot do anything else.
Because of the effects of these treatments and the fact that they may not always be effective, many cancer patients have started looking into alternative ways to treat their bone cancer. These treatments are used instead of traditional treatments or supplemented with them.
Alternative Treatments For Bone Cancer
Wondering if alternative cancer treatments work? Adding natural bone cancer treatments into a treatment plan (or depending on them exclusively) is something many with bone cancer have started looking into over the last decade. The push for a natural approach goes back to studies where plants with anticancer agents were being studied for new medications and holistic treatment options. And, some of these natural cancer treatments have seen great success. Other alternative treatment opt ions practice alternative medicine that has been used for hundreds of years to fight symptoms that cancer patients experience.
Turmeric/Curcumin Treatment
Supplementing your diet with curcumin or Turmeric while diagnosed with bone cancer is one holistic treatment option that many are pursuing as an alternative method of treatment. Curcumin is the active ingredient in Tumeric and has been proven to have anticancer properties. By adding it to your diet, you are giving your immune system an additional boost to fight off active cancer cells and attempt to keep more from developing. Studies with curcumin it is showing the most progress in primary bone cancer instead of those who have bone cancer as a secondary location.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
So, what does bone cancer feel like? Bone pain and swelling are common with bone cancer, you need a treatment that will aid you in inflammation and help you with relief. Two doses of omega-3 fatty acids allow your body to reduce the inflammation in your bones. With reduced inflammation in these areas, your body has a better chance of fighting and generating healing. These omega-3 fatty acids are also essential for heart health, which can take a hit when your body goes through strenuous cancer treatments.
Halotherapy
Taking in natural light and generating healthy tissue in your body is important for your health, especially if you suffer from bone cancer. Halotherapy is a natural treatment option that has been growing significantly in the world of natural medicine and treatment options. During this holistic treatment, the affected body area is exposed to direct light so that the tissue around the area can stimulate new growth. Also, the benefits of halotherapy is meant to extend to breathing and improving respiration of the body.
Chiropractor
While this one seems to be a bit out of the box with bone cancer, chiropractors will not manipulate the area where the cancer is located in the body. The goal is to manipulate other bones in the body so that pain can be alleviated indirectly, and you get back some of that energy. This treatment is great to supplement with other alternative options because it allows them to come full circle. If you do decide to have your bones manipulated for bone pain, make sure to disclose your condition to the chiropractor.
Acupuncture
There isn’t any evidence to show that acupuncture helps cancer, but it has been proven to assist with excessive symptoms that come with bone cancer, such as nausea and fatigue. Those who take on several bone cancer treatment options need to alleviate the nausea of traditional treatment methods. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to alleviate these symptoms in cancer patients, and those suffering from cancer find benefits in the method.
Oxygen Therapy
What scientists have discovered over time is that bone cancer cells have a preferred environment where oxygen is low and not as available as in other body parts. By infusing more oxygen into these areas with hydrogen peroxide, these oxygen therapy treatments for cancer can change the environment, stimulating an attack on the bone cancer cells and assisting your immune system with the fight against them.
Hypnosis
The mental health of a bone cancer patient is important, and if not treated, it can deteriorate quickly. The stress from cancer and keeping up with treatments and medications can increase stress levels, feeding cancer. One of the best ways to take on cancer treatments or help your body get through them is to do a mental reset with hypnosis. Because it requires concentration and relaxation from your body, you are not forced to stress like before you went into your session.
Yoga
While exercise may be the farthest thing from your mind, the benefits that something like yoga can have on your body are endless. When you take on yoga, you are working not only on your physical health but also your mental health. Yoga combines healthy body stretches, which are good for your bones and joints, meditation to help you clear your mind, and breathing exercises to improve your respiratory system.
Aromatherapy
Great for nausea, pain, and anxiety, aromatherapy is one of the more popular bone cancer alternative treatments. With aromatherapy, you open your body up to fragrant oils that naturally affect your body. To ensure you are using the right oils for your symptoms, allow an aromatherapy practitioner to perform this treatment. Spending some time with natural essential oils allows your body to relax and symptoms of the cancer to reduce. If you can allow your body to relax, then it has an opportunity to fight and heal, which is at the root of what is needed to fight bone cancer.
Can I Choose Natural Bone Cancer Treatments With My Traditional Treatments?
All of the aforementioned alternative bone cancer treatment options can be used together, as frequently as your body can manage it, to help with bone cancer. Using traditional treatments, you can also add natural bone cancer treatment to your options. The treatments will not threaten the other in terms of bad interactions. The worst case of taking advantage of all tre atment options is the fatigue it can give your body. You want to ensure you have the energy and ability to complete the treatment option before you move forward.
Once you have been diagnosed with bone cancer, it is important to know your treatment options. Choosing to add alternative treatments for bone cancer can improve your chances of recovery and help with your symptoms while you go through all rounds of treatment. Want to know how to treat bone cancer naturally? While all the treatments may not be right for you, there are natural treatments for bone cancer that you can take advantage of and use to help in your fight for recovery at Immunity Therapy Center.
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
Sources:
- External Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Bone Cancer Pain https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4669368/
- Key Statistics About Bone Cancer https://www.cancer.org/cancer/bone-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- Liposome-Encapsulated Circumin-Loaded 3D https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.9b01218
- Plant-derived Anticancer Agents: A Promising Treatment For Bone Metastasis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5307970
- Potential of Natural Products in Osteosarcoma Treatment: Focus on Molecular Mechanisms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34688081/
- Recent Advances in Anti-Mestastatic Approaches of Herbal Medicines in 5 Major Cancers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8065873/
- Turmeric May Be the Answer to Osteosarcoma Treatment https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/turmeric-may-be-the-answer-to-osteosarcoma-treatment
- What is Osteosarcoma? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/osteosarcoma/about/what-is-osteosarcoma.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.