Chinese medicine helps against numbness in the legs

The development of cytostatic drugs for the treatment of cancer is often the only salvation for patients and thus a blessing. The high-dose drugs are designed to stop tumor growth. But often they also attack healthy tissue such as gastrointestinal mucosa, hair roots and bone marrow. Side effects in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, hair loss and bone pain usually occur promptly to therapy and are usually reversible. But there are also long-term toxic effects such as polyneuropathies, which patients still struggle with when the cancer itself is almost forgotten. Chinese medicine offers patients two approaches: it can reduce long-term damage during treatment by means of an elusive procedure, but it can also treat it well.
"Polyneuropathies after chemotherapy usually begin gradually with gradually arising numbness in the feet," explains Dr. med. Christian Schmincke, Chief Physician of the Clinic of Steigerwald specializing in Chinese medicine. But also tingling in feet and legs as well as agonizing pain appear as symptoms. Back the disease goes on damage to the nerve tracts. Conventional medicine often reaches its limits in the case of polyneuropathy, because drugs only relieve symptoms for a short time but do not fight the causes of the disease.

"Unlike conventional medicine, TCM has a better chance of describing the causes of the disease because of its different understanding of the disease", explains Dr. med. Makeup. From the point of view of TCM so-called "Tan" is the central cause of the disease. For example, the term describes toxic substances that a sick organism no longer excretes and thus adversely affects the nutritional environment of the long nerves. "With specifically adapted to the individual disease Chinese remedies, acupuncture and moxibustion, Tuina massages, Qi Gong and nutrition teachings manage to lead these substances out of the body." This works, confirms a study of the clinic: In nine out of ten polyneuropathy Patients improved symptoms or their condition stabilized. Even two years after the hospital stay, this status was maintained.

Prevention is better than cure: Those who want to prevent such side effects, should already take measures during the treatment of cancer. Chinese remedies can not only relieve side effects, but also rebuild the function of the immune system and metabolism. In addition, some medicines are also able to influence tumor growth itself. (Pm)