Introduction
Cancer and other chronic diseases are one of the biggest challenges a person can face. Patients are often worried about the future and about the side effects which may arise from treatment. It is a diagnosis that can impact patients both physically and emotionally.
Our integrative approach aims to help you feel more like yourself during and after your treatment.
The department offers therapies that can reduce patients’ stress and anxiety, and can improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. In collaboration with your primary care team, we will design a comprehensive approach to your cancer care.
Konstantina Stylianou
Head of Integrative Medicine and Health Care Department
Developing your personal care plan
- Integrative Medicine and Health Care Consultation
During a consultation with our Integrative Medicine and Health Care specialist, you and your family will discuss any side effects that you have been experiencing or that may worry you. Depending on your symptoms, the specialist will then refer you to the appropriate modality offered by our department.
- At your appointment you will discuss:
- How you can manage your symptoms and side effects using proven integrative therapies.
- How you can adopt a healthy lifestyle during and after your treatment.
- How you can manage stress and sleep.
- The proper use of herbs and dietary supplements to minimize risks and maximize benefits.
- Acupuncture:
Acupuncture is one of the most popular practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been around for almost 5000 years. In acupuncture, sterile needles are inserted at specific points on the body. It is a safe and painless procedure which has shown to support cancer care and other chronic conditions for years.
Nutritional Consultations
Let food be your medicine
A balanced diet is key to managing many chronic conditions, but unfortunately sometimes medications or treatments can impact your ability to eat and digest food.
Your diet plays a big part in establishing gut health and supporting your microbiome’s good bacteria. Research over the past several decades has revealed evidence that there is an inextricable link between a person’s microbiota, digestion, body weight and metabolism, as well as maintaining a strong immune system.
Adopting a balanced diet can reduce fatigue and improve quality of life. Maintaining a healthy body weight and muscle mass can help you recover more quickly. At the German Medical Institute we offer nutritional counselling, where you can discuss how you can improve your eating habits, and a tailored nutritional plan will help your recovery.
Exercise Rehabilitation
Our mission is to aid you integrate exercise as an enjoyable practice into your daily routine. We will provide you with individualized exercise programs which will help you manage and reduce the difficulties that come with your diagnosis. Your rehabilitation program will be personalized according to your needs and physical abilities. We will be setting goals together, to get you back to your normal activities of daily living as fast as possible.
We are operating according to the principles and guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine. Ensuring that we are constantly informed and updated about the latest research and guidelines for exercise prescriptions.
Always next to you, committed to providing you with the best care possible!
The German Oncology Center is the first hospital in Cyprus offering Clinical Exercise Physiology services through the practice of Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation. Clinical Exercise Physiology is an evidence-based medical field where exercise is used to help patients manage and reduce their risk of chronic disease and conditions.
Our department specializes in the rehabilitation of patients diagnosed with heart, cancer, renal, diabetes and/or pulmonary disease.
The principal aim of this department is the amelioration of our patients’ quality of life.
Physiotherapy
The Department of Physiotherapy or Physical Therapy at the German Medical Institute (GMI) collaborates with our doctors from other departments to provide each patient with the best physiotherapy treatment plan for their needs. Prevention and treatment are crucial when it comes to improving our patients’ quality of life and helping them return to their daily activities.
After evaluating a patient’s physical condition, consulting the rest of the medical team, and understanding the patient’s goals for their treatment, our physiotherapists develop a personalized treatment plan that will help each patient improve their physical condition and meet their needs, targets, and goals.
Our targets often include:
- reducing pain
- strengthening muscles
- increasing range of motion, especially in overloaded joints
- treating adhesions
- managing edema and lymphedema.
Christos Yapanis has been our physiotherapist since 2017. He graduated from the University of Thessaly, Department of Physiotherapy in Lamia, and is a member of the Pancyprian Association of Physiotherapists.
FAQs
Here you will find all the information on what to expect when your treatment journey begins.
We deliberately use Integrative Medicine and Health Care alongside conventional medicine in a manner that is personalized, evidence-based, and safe.
As a dedicated field of Integrative Medicine and Health Care, Integrative oncology – As defined by the Society for Integrative Oncology, (SIO), is a patient-centric, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilizes mind and body practices, natural products, and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional treatments.
Integrative Medicine and Health Care aims to optimize health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes across the clinical care continuum, and to empower people to prevent cancer as well as other chronic diseases and become active participants before, during and beyond their disease journey.
- Better handle the side effects from chemotherapy and radiation
- Better handle the side effects from chronic disease management
- Minimize anxiety, depression, and stress
- Understand your options when it comes to herbs, vitamins, and other dietary supplements
- Control fatigue, neuropathy, dry mouth, hot flashes, and other symptoms
- Reduce pain and muscle tension
- Eat healthier and understand which foods are better for your body
Acupuncture is a drug free option which can help you manage the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Many studies through clinical trials have supported that acupuncture is effective in treating:
- Pain
- Fatigue
- Stress and Anxiety
- Hot flashes
- Alterations in Bowel Movement
- Dry mouth
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Insomnia
- Nausea and vomiting
Unfortunately, this varies from patient to patient, and is a question that we can answer only after we develop your personalized treatment plan. However, it is recommended you have weekly acupuncture treatments in the first few weeks.
Yoga is one of the most ancient doctrines of body, mind, and spirit with roots from the East.
It is a holistic approach to human existence, which, through exercises and breathing techniques, results in the balancing and harmonization of body, mind, emotions, and soul.
By incorporating Yoga into your daily routine, you will be able to relax and sleep more easily and deeply, enjoying the benefits of a quality sleep.
Contact details
- (+357) 25 208 000
- [email protected]
- 1, Nikis Avenue 4108, Agios Athanasios, Cyprus
- Mon - Fri | 08:00 - 16:30
