Complementary therapies
Complementary therapies are a great way to ensure you’re getting rest, relaxation and care during breast cancer treatment.
Complementary cancer treatment or complementary therapies – not to be confused with alternative therapies – are designed not to cure your cancer treatment, but to support and enhance your quality of life during treatment.
Used as part of your overall cancer care regime and also known as integrative oncology, treatments like massage and acupuncture, as well as classes for yoga, meditation, relaxation and mindfulness can greatly increase your wellbeing during what is often both mentally and physically a challenging time.
The LivingRoom at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse is continuing to offer a range of (COVID-safe practiced) complementary therapies, which, when used in combination with your cancer treatment, may provide emotional, physical and spiritual support and reduce side effects of medical treatment.
At the LivingRoom at Lifehouse, evidence-based complementary therapies are integrated into a patient’s treatment plan. These include mind and body practices, natural products and lifestyle modifications from different traditions, such as yoga, mindfulness and exercise and diet.
Lifehouse LivingRoom specialists can help manage a person’s cancer symptoms and side effects at all stages of cancer treatment from the time of diagnosis, during treatment and beyond. To ensure our patients have the best quality of life while living with cancer, therapist care for the whole person and consider their physical, psychological and social well-being.
Supportive care refers to the many ways our specialists can help manage a person’s cancer symptoms and side effects at all stages of cancer treatment from the time of diagnosis, during treatment and beyond.
To ensure patients have the best quality of life while living with cancer, we care for the whole person and consider their physical, psychological and social wellbeing.
Holistic medical consultation
A holistic medical consultation provides a comprehensive review of your symptoms and gives you recommendations to control them. You can have a holistic medical consultation at any stage of your disease from the time of diagnosis through to survivorship and for advanced cancer patients.
Outside of Lifehouse, there are many other therapies offered by a range of practitioners which hold clinically proven benefits, including things like art/music therapy, hypnotherapy, tai chi and qui gong, aromatherapy, and acupuncture – to name a few.
As more and more cancer patients are turning to complementary therapies during their cancer treatments, research continues on which treatments are safe and beneficial for people living with cancer. Before deciding to undertake any complementary therapy, you should discuss your plan with your doctor. It is also important to notify your complementary therapist that you have cancer and be transparent about the treatment you are receiving as well as how you are feeling before your appointment.
The LivingRoom is the home of supportive cancer care and integrative medicine at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. Located on the ground floor, The LivingRoom offers evidence-based complementary therapies as part of the overall package of cancer care. For bookings and more information, contact the LivingRoom on (02) 8514 0038 or by email LivingRoom@lh.org.au