A Guide to Alternative Treatments for Salivary Gland Cancer

What is Salivary Gland Cancer?

Before covering alternative treatments for salivary gland cancer, here’s some basic information about this condition. Salivary gland cancer is quite rare, and it originates in one of the salivary glands. Everyone has three sets of primary salivary glands around and beneath the jaw: submandibular, parotid and sublingual. There are other, smaller salivary glands all around your throat and mouth. The gland most commonly affected by cancer is the parotid gland, which is close to the ear.

Conventional treatments for salivary gland cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, conventional therapies don’t work for all cancer patients, and so alternative treatments have become increasingly popular.

Acupuncture and Acupressure

Acupuncture and acupressure are two alternative treatments for cancer. The primary benefit of these two treatments is remediation of pain. Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points of the body to get rid of pain. Originating in ancient times in China, acupuncture still has not shown concrete evidence of effectiveness. Generally, an acupuncture session takes half and hour. The needles get moved around from time to time, and have electric current and heat. The scientific studies that have focused on acupuncture have found that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) enters the bloodstream when cells receive stimulation from heat or electricity, and that ATP can work to alleviate pain.

Acupressure is similar to acupuncture in that it uses pressure points on the body to reduce pain. Instead of using needles, though, acupressure is about specific massage techniques that apply pressure to certain areas that will cause other parts of the body to feel relief from pain.

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Exercise and Stress Management

There are several physical and emotional symptoms that may improve if you use exercise. If you are feeling chronic fatigue, if you can’t sleep well, or if you can’t overcome feelings of stress, then exercise may help.

It might seem counter-intuitive to increase your exercise levels if you’re tired all the time. However, one benefit of exercise is an increased metabolism, and a stalled metabolism is often the culprit behind fatigue. If you get your metabolism up and running, a lot of the toxins that have gotten into your system from chemotherapy and radiation treatments can work their way out more easily – and you can feel more energy. This increased metabolism will also help your sleep pattern improve, and exercise

Nutritional Treatments

There are quite a few different foods that have turned out to be a helpful alternative treatment for salivary gland cancer. A lot of the berry family (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and so on) have been instrumental in raising the metabolism and eliminating toxins from the body. Brussels sprouts, broccoli and most fruits can also help you feel better because of their antioxidant properties.

External References

https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/salivary-gland-cancer/DS00708

https://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/salivary_gland_cancer/alternative.htm

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