What is Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which the cells of the prostate become abnormal. They start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. A tumor is a mass or lump of tissue made of abnormal cells. Tumors may be malignant or benign. A malignant tumor can spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are cancerous. Benign tumors cannot spread to other parts of the body. As cancerous cells grow and spread, they can damage or interfere with the function of organs in the body, causing a variety of symptoms. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, making this by far the most common cancer among men. More than 65% of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over 65.

How Chiropractic Care Relates to Prostate Cancer

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health.

Chiropractic care works by locating and correcting subluxations (spinal misalignments), which cause interference to the proper functioning of the nervous system. Subluxations are problem areas of the spine that affect the entire nervous system. In these problem areas the spinal bones are misaligned or have lost their normal range of movement. This can irritate or put pressure on local nerves, which may interfere with the communication between your brain and body. Chiropractic adjustments work to remove the interference to the sensory nerve fibres.

The chiropractor does not treat prostate cancer directly, but rather corrects the spinal nerve stress (vertebral subluxations). Without spinal nerve stress, the body functions better. Keep your prostate (even if it’s cancerous?) Before making a decision to have the prostate removed, one should consider two research papers that confirmed what has been mentioned in other medical journals: that men with prostate cancer who have surgery don’t live any longer than men who have prostate cancer who choose not to have surgery.

In these studies 695 men with prostate cancer were divided into two groups: one had their prostates removed (radical prostatectomy) and the other didn’t. "Watchful waiting," the MDs called it. The men were watched for 6.2 years. The result? No difference in death rates. But there’s more – 80% of the men in the surgery group became impotent, compared to 45% in the non-surgical group. About 50% of the surgical group were incontinent compared with 21% in the no-surgery group.

On the other hand, chiropractors can provide chiropractic treatment to relieve pain and stiffness in your joints and muscles caused or intensified by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Using non-invasive manual or instrument procedures to restore the muscle and joints of the body, particularly the spine, chiropractors often work closely with oncologists and the rest of a patient's health care team to help to reduce stress to the nervous system without the use of drugs or surgical treatment.

Potential benefits of chiropractic care

Cancer and treatments for cancer can cause stress on the musculoskeletal system. Some cancer patients experience peripheral neuropathy, aches and pains in the neck and/or back, muscle tension, headaches, or difficulty walking.

Chiropractic care can help to reduce stress and increase mobility, flexibility, strength and function, as well as help improve overall well-being. Specially, a chiropractic adjustment can help alleviate a variety of symptoms, including:

  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Headaches
  • Sciatic nerve pain
  • Painful walking
  • Nausea
  • Neuropathy (pain or numbness in the hands and feet)
  • Fatigue

Individualized treatment approach

If a patient's oncologist determines chiropractic care is safe and appropriate, a chiropractor will work with your oncologists and the rest of patient's health care team to develop a plan. The plan may include non-invasive manual chiropractic techniques to correct bone, muscle and joint problems and restore nerve function.

A common therapeutic procedure is spinal manipulation, or chiropractic adjustment. Manipulation involves manually applying a controlled force to the spine and/or other joints in the body that have become misaligned or restricted in their movement.

Some specific chiropractic techniques to restore alignment include:

  • Hands-on adjustments
  • Massage
  • Stretching
  • Electrical stimulation of the muscles
  • Low-level Laser Therapy
  • Traction
  • Heat
  • Ice
  • Application of special instruments
  • Non-force techniques

Throughout a patient's cancer treatment and recovery, their medical health care team should consistently monitor your scans and X-rays, as well as lab results, to ensure safe delivery and appropriateness of care until and beyond recovery for 'wellness'.

While chiropractic care can be helpful to many patients, it may not be for everyone. For example, chiropractic services may not be recommended if a bone metastasis is found or your platelet counts are low.

Reference: Cancer Treatment Centres of America

Click here for Abstract, "The Chiropractor's Role in Pain Management for Oncology Patients".

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Monday
8:00 am - Noon 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Tuesday
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Wednesday
8:00 am - Noon 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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