Integrative Therapy
At MultiCare, our goal is to support your recovery while promoting long-term health. Integrative medicine focuses on addressing the whole person, providing personalized care to enhance your well-being and promote healing of your mind, body and spirit.
What is integrative therapy?
Integrative therapies for cancer include treatments that work in combination, or “integrate,” with standard medical treatments.
Integrative therapies can help you feel better by:
- Easing anxiety and depression
- Improving your ability to get restful sleep
- Increasing your range of motion if you are experiencing muscle tightness
- Lessening pain
- Improving blood flow to scar tissue to prevent complications
- Relieving side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, which may include nausea, fatigue and hot flashes
Integrative therapies do not replace standard cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Instead, they help us better support you from a physical, emotional and spiritual perspective — all of which can have a positive impact on how you feel.
Insurance often covers the cost of integrative therapies. Contact your insurance company to learn more about your benefits. You can also ask one of our social workers or nurse navigators for assistance.
Our integrative therapy services
Integrative therapies we offer include:
Massage therapy
Our massage therapists use the healing power of touch to help you feel better. Using their hands, massage therapists apply gentle pressure to specific areas of the body to help release tension and increase blood flow. We also occasionally offer massage services during outpatient chemotherapy treatments.
Aromatherapy
Massage therapists also offer aromatherapy, which releases essential oils, derived from plants, into the air. These pleasant-smelling oils can trigger responses that promote feelings of wellness.
Ask your cancer care team if massage and aromatherapy services are available in your area.
Physical activity
We help you safely resume physical activity with movement and mindfulness classes. Physical activity during cancer treatment helps you feel less tired, and you may be able to return to daily activities faster.
Our movement and mindfulness offerings include dance, yoga, tai chi and meditation.