Using Acupuncture to Develop Resilience and Aid Recovery After Cancer Treatment EN

Resilience is the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity and to bounce back from difficult circumstances. Cancer diagnosis and treatment can test an individual’s resilience; so too can the challenges survivors face when cancer treatment ends and they adapt to the “new normal” of life after cancer treatment.

Globally, there are more than 44 million people who are alive five years after a cancer diagnosis. Many of these survivors require ongoing support. Acupuncture can play a vital role in helping cancer survivors adjust to life post-treatment, especially in supporting them in coming to terms with how cancer has affected their lives and to develop the resilience needed as they navigate the future.  This includes managing the physical and emotional aftereffects of diagnosis and treatment, making healthy lifestyle choices, coping with the fear of recurrence, learning how to manage a chronic condition, and establishing the “new normal” that is the legacy of a cancer diagnosis.

This course aims to help acupuncturists to:
• Understand the challenges faced by cancer survivors post cancer treatment
• Gain insight into the late and long-term consequences of cancer and its treatment
• Explore how to help cancer survivors develop and improve their resilience.

Case studies will be used to illustrate the issues faced by survivors at various stages post cancer treatment, and to explore potential approaches to using acupuncture to develop resilience.

This course is suitable for acupuncturists of all styles of practice. The overall objective is to equip acupuncturists to facilitate cancer survivors to gain control of their lives through understanding the issues faced by survivors.