Integrated health improves pain control in patients with cancer

Integrating complementary and conventional treatment for patients at a specialist cancer hospital has improved pain control and boosted self-esteem – by far more than people expected.

A study carried out by the Complementary Therapies & Smoking Cessation Service at the Christie Hospital in Manchester demonstrates integrated health is about much more than the placebo effect.

Clinical lead Dr Peter Mackereth, Reader in Integrated Health at the University of Derby, revealed:

Only 31% believed complementary therapies would help their self-esteem, but 92% reported an improvement.

Just 26% expected therapies would boost pain control, but 80 per cent found it effective.

More than 90% said their headaches were relieved, despite only 40% expecting that result.

Only 10% anticipated therapies would help skin problems but 61% reported an improvement.

‘Having a complementary therapy means peoples’ self esteem goes up,’ said Dr Mackereth. Cancer patients are often vulnerable to depression, but after complementary treatment, some people feel so much more empowered they are even able to give up smoking, he added. The service has now won funding from the Primary Care Trust for its smoking cessation clinic.

The lack of belief in therapies at the start of the study was perhaps down to inexperience, Dr Mackereth explained. ‘Many of our patients have never had a complementary therapy before’.

The project, funded by a £270,000 grant from the National Lottery, involved 113 patients.

Another study, offering massage to both patients and their carers, saw statistically significant improvements in well-being.

People reported they were relaxed, comforted and had their anxiety relieved.

The Christie Hospital Foundation Trust is ‘quite a tough environment,’ Dr Mackereth said, given it treats seriously or terminally ill patients.

‘We have patients with no platelets, for instance, so we have to prove our services are safe. We’ve done that and been able to expand the service and evolve to include carers.’

In the five years to 2008, more than 34,000 patients and carers have received complementary treatments at the hospital, ranging from acupuncture and reflexology to aromatherapy, massage and hypnotherapy. ‘We have been able to convince colleagues these services are valuable,’ said Dr Mackereth.

The service also runs an pre-operative support clinic, relaxation classes and an essential oils wound care project.

Patients with needle phobia are able to have a massage immediately before chemotherapy, he told the conference. ‘Patients get very anxious about being cannulated but we use hypnotherapy techniques and they don’t even notice the cannula going in.’

The programme has links with local universities, offering placements for medical and nursing students as well as complementary therapists.

The service is integrated into the hospital, with all therapists engaged on honorary contracts, standard operating procedures and policies and staff involved in multi-disciplinary team meetings, covering psycho-oncology triage, palliative care reviews, research, audit and service evaluation.

‘We have had to develop our system and adapt to what we learn from the trust,’ Dr Mackereth said. Therapies have been adapted for clinical practice in cancer care, and there is ongoing supervision of practitioners.