Integrative Medicine Center Clinical Services
Clinical services at the Integrative Medicine Center are designed to help our patients deal with the stress and anxiety of cancer treatment and improve their sense of well being. Our services also encourage patients to adopt lifestyle changes that can minimize the impact of the disease and may reduce the chance of recurrence.
Integrative oncology physician consultation
Integrative medicine is an evidence-based approach to providing healthcare. It combines conventional medicine with complementary health approaches. Complementary health approaches include nutrition and dietary supplements and mind/body practices such as meditation, yoga, massage and acupuncture.
These complementary approaches do not replace standard treatments such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Instead, they work with these treatments to improve patients’ health and quality of life.
What is integrative oncology?
Integrative oncology applies integrative medicine to people affected by cancer. At MD Anderson, patients interested in integrative medicine should start with an integrative oncology physician consultation.
These consultations are available to inpatients and outpatients through the Integrative Medicine Center.
During the consultation, the physician will develop a personalized integrative care plan for you. This may include a discussion on the benefits and risks of herbs and supplements, along with referrals to work with other members of our clinical team. These services include health psychology, nutrition counseling, exercise counseling provided by physical therapists, yoga therapy, acupuncture and oncology massage.
Who performs integrative oncology physician consultations?
Consultations are performed by MD Anderson faculty physicians with expertise in integrative medicine and complementary health approaches.
Meet our Integrative Medicine Center physicians.
3 myths you shouldn’t believe about integrative medicine
You might think that the terms “integrative medicine” and “alternative medicine” are interchangeable, or that they mean the same thing. But these phrases describe very different concepts. In fact, they are almost polar opposites.
- Alternative medicine refers to herbal supplements, detox diets, “healing” crystals and other unproven methods that are meant to replace conventional health treatments.
- Integrative medicine, meanwhile, refers to the practice of using techniques such as massage, yoga, music therapy, acupressure and acupuncture to enhance or complement conventional health treatments.
“Understanding that distinction is incredibly important,” notes Gabriel Lopez, M.D., a supportive care specialist and medical oncologist who serves as medical director of our Integrative Medicine Center. “Because when patients are considering less-conventional approaches to health care — especially cancer treatment — it’s critical that they be safe and evidence-based.”
Here are two other myths you shouldn’t believe about integrative medicine.
Myth #2: Alternative medicine is just as good as integrative medicine
Fact: Many alternative “therapies” remain unproven and are not supported by scientific evidence. They may also interfere with how well cancer treatment works.
“Alternative therapies could make your chemotherapy or radiation therapy less effective,” notes Lopez. “They could even increase your side effects or cause organ damage.”
But various integrative medicine options at MD Anderson have already demonstrated their value through clinical trials.
- Acupuncture for dry mouth: One study, published by Integrative Medicine Director Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., in 2019, found that patients who received acupuncture during radiation treatments for head and neck cancers experienced significantly less dry mouth.
- Yoga for insomnia and fatigue: Another study, published in 2017, documented yoga’s effectiveness in reducing insomnia among women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. A third study, published in 2011, explored how yoga eased fatigue and improved the overall quality of life among breast cancer patients receiving treatment.
“We don’t offer these therapies just because we like them,” adds Lopez. “We offer them because there’s strong evidence that they work.”
Myth #3: Integrative medicine is just one kind of treatment
Fact: Integrative medicine does not refer to just one specific type of treatment, such as acupuncture.
“It’s actually much more than that,” Lopez says. “Integrative medicine is an entire philosophy: a way of approaching patient care that addresses a person’s physical, mental, emotional and social health. Depending on what a patient is looking for, we can use some combination of these interventions before, during or after their cancer treatments to:
- reduce symptoms and side effects
- improve quality of life and treatment outcomes
- reduce the risk of recurrence
Patients who visit MD Anderson’s Integrative Medicine Center may also receive physical therapy from licensed physical therapists, nutritional counseling from registered dietitians, or tips from behavioral psychologists on how to stay active or end unhealthy habits.
“Cancer allows patients to pause and really examine their lifestyles,” Lopez says. “They can revisit some areas that maybe haven’t gotten much attention before and make positive changes. That’s how some of our patients actually end up healthier after completing treatment than they were before their cancer diagnosis.”
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses thin needles inserted in the skin at specific points in the body to treat multiple health conditions.
It has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. It is a safe, gentle, evidence-based medical treatment.
Many hospitals now offer acupuncture. It can be used on its own or with other therapies to relieve the negative side effects of cancer treatments, manage cancer symptoms and improve overall quality of life.
What are the potential benefits of acupuncture?
Acupuncture does not treat cancer directly. Instead, it can be used alongside conventional care to help provide relief from cancer and cancer treatment-related side effects.
Acupuncture can help with:
- Anxiety
- Cancer-related pain
- Chemotherapy-induced and post-operative nausea and vomiting
- Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
- Constipation
- Depression
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Sleep problems
- Slowing/stopping of the gastrointestinal tract after surgery
Who performs acupuncture?
Acupuncture treatments should only be provided by a qualified, state-licensed acupuncturist. In Texas, acupuncturists are required to sit for national board exams given by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
NCCAOM requires that all acupuncturists complete a minimum four-year graduate-level program from an accredited acupuncture school. All acupuncturists complete continuing education courses to maintain their certification.
Acupuncture during cancer treatment: What to know
If you’ve ever pricked yourself with a needle, your first thought was probably some variation of the word ‘Ouch!’
While being on the receiving end of a needle isn't usually considered the most pleasant experience, a procedure called acupuncture uses tiny needles to create health benefits.
Wondering how? Acupuncturist Marie Eclache was once right there with you. As a teen, acupuncture and herbal medicine helped her kick a sinus infection that even three rounds of antibiotics couldn’t clear up. Not only that, but they benefited her skin, helped with her migraines and left her feeling better overall.
“It made no sense to me how it could possibly work, so I made the decision I was going to find out one day,” she recalls.
Over the course of eight years of schooling, she did just that, first earning her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and, later, a degree in acupuncture and Eastern medicine.
Today, she is an NCCAOM board-certified acupuncturist in MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Center, where she uses acupuncture to help patients manage cancer symptoms and side effects from cancer treatment.
We spoke with Eclache to learn more about acupuncture’s role in cancer care.
Exercise and physical activity consultations
Exercise can help cancer patients suffering from fatigue, poor balance, depression/anxiety, loss of appetite and other symptoms. It may also help prevent new or recurring cancers. But what exercise is right and safe for you? Our physical therapists can evaluate your fitness level and develop an exercise plan just for you.
Health psychology
Cancer can take a huge emotion toll on patients. Meeting with one of our licensed clinical psychologists can help. Starting with an evaluation, our psychologist will develop a treatment plan that will help you deal with symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Interventions may include cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing and other mind-body practices.
Learn more about health psychology.
Music therapy
Music therapy uses interactive music-based activities to improve patients’ health and well-being. These exercises are led by a board-certified music therapist. They may include the therapist and patient playing music and singing together, a discussion about song lyrics or a music-assisted relaxation exercise.
Patients do not need background in music to participate in and benefit from music therapy.
What are the benefits of music therapy?
Research shows that targeted music interventions can reduce pain, anxiety and fatigue.
Music therapy can also help patients manage the emotional impacts of cancer. This includes coping with anger, depression, role changes and increased stress. It can also help patients who are struggling with feelings of helplessness and a lack of resilience.
Music therapy may also include exercises that promote increased communication between patients and their loved ones through personalized music therapy techniques.
Who provides music therapy?
Music therapists are board-certified health care professionals who are trained to use music to address the physiological and/or psychological challenges of cancer and cancer-related treatment.
Your music therapist will develop a personalized treatment plan to meet your unique health and wellness needs and goals.
Nutrition counseling
Though cancer and its treatments can make it hard to eat, good nutrition is important for patients. Eating right reduces fatigue and improves quality of life. By keeping up your weight and muscle mass, you’ll also recover more quickly once treatment is over.
The Integrative Medicine Center offers nutrition counseling from a dietitian certified in oncology nutrition. During these sessions, you’ll get a nutrition plan for treatment recovery along with advice for managing your weight. You’ll also learn how to change your eating habits and get information on topics like organics, “super foods” and special diets.
Oncology massage
Oncology massage provides personalized massage therapy to people dealing with short- or long-term symptoms of cancer or cancer treatments.
Massage sessions are modified to each patient’s condition. Modifications could involve the treatment site; the pressure, techniques and pace of the massage; and the patient’s position during the session. The length and frequency of treatments can also change.
Patients should consult with their care team prior to the massage and discuss any concerns with the massage therapist at the beginning of each massage session.
Some patients are not eligible for massage therapy due to risks such as infection, bleeding/bruising, lymphedema and other complications.
What are the benefits of oncology massage?
Research shows that oncology massage is safe and effective.
It can help patients in active treatment, survivorship or near the end of life. Benefits include reductions in pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Research also suggests that massage can help manage symptoms associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Who provides oncology massage?
Oncology massage should only be performed by a licensed massage therapist. Therapists should also be trained to understand cancer and its associated symptoms, as well as to modify massage treatments to the patient’s unique situation. Prior to each session, the massage therapist should review and understand each patient’s medical records and health conditions.
At the Integrative Medicine Center, oncology massage therapists review the patient’s medical and surgical history, medications, recent blood test results and imaging exams. This helps them determine whether massage is appropriate and if so, what modifications are needed.
Yoga Therapy
Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines movement, controlled breathing, and meditation.
Yoga therapy uses yoga teachings and practices of yoga to relieve the patient’s symptoms and improve their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. It can also help improve symptoms and overall quality of life. Yoga may help cancer patients and is recommended as part of cancer care guidelines.
What are the benefits of yoga therapy?
Research also shows that yoga can help improve many aspects of cancer patient’s physical and mental health and overall quality of life. Benefits of yoga include:
- Improved sleep
- Decreased treatment side effects such as fatigue and nausea
- Improved physical function, such as better balance and flexibility
- Improved regulation of stress hormones
- Reduced anxiety and depression
There are many different types of yoga. There is no evidence that one style is more helpful than another. Patients should find a trained yoga therapist, class and style that matches their individual needs and physical abilities.
Yoga Therapy Consultations
Yoga therapy is offered to patients through the Integrative Medicine Center (IMC). The IMC offers individual consultations and group classes for patients and caregivers.
Consultations are led by a yoga therapist and are one-on-one. You will need a referral from your IMC healthcare team to meet with a yoga therapist.
After you get a referral, you can schedule your first appointment. During this visit, the yoga therapist will review the reason for your referral, medical history, treatment and symptoms. Your yoga treatment plan may include several sessions with goals to lower anxiety and fatigue. Based on your needs, these techniques may be recommended:
- Gentle stretching
- Focused breathing
- Meditation and relaxation
- Yoga poses
The therapist can introduce yoga to beginners or change it for those with experience. Caregivers and spouses or partners are welcome to join sessions. Check your MyChart account for the time and location of your session. There is a fee for this consultation.
Patients who have physical limitations should also consult with their primary medical care team before starting an exercise routine.
Who provides yoga therapy?
Yoga therapy at the Integrative Medicine Center is provided by certified yoga therapist. They have specialized expertise in the use of mind-body practices to treat patients in a healthcare setting.