177: Dr. Jessa Landmann provides care for cancer survivors in the post-treatment phase | naturopathy | complimentary therapies

 

 

Early in Dr, Jessa Landmann’s medical training, she discovered a need for attention given to those after they had received treatment for cancer.  The post-treatment phase can be difficult physically, mentally and emotionally.  Nutrition, what survivors eat, how much they eat and when they eat is where she starts in dealing with those going through the multi-layered challenges of post-treatment.  Dr. Landmann urges those in the post-treatment phase to be proactive and seek direction from healthcare professionals.

 

Dr. Landmann is by trade a naturopathic doctor.  At the forefront of her care for those who have been treated for cancer is what is known as complimentary therapies.  She says this is an “umbrella term” for everything from exercise to nutrition to acupuncture to mindfulness and meditation and herbal supplements.  When she encounters one in the post-treatment phase, the thing she sees most is fatigue.  Patients tell her the bulk of the treatment may be in the past, but they still feel exhausted.

 

She seeks to utilize the therapies in her toolbox to make post-treatment patients feel better physically, mentally and emotionally.  When there is improvement in all three areas, then she says survivors are more apt to as best as possible, return to the life they led before they were diagnosed. 

 

Before her caring for survivors become more multi-faceted, Jessa starts by trying to improve their diet.  She says a lot of people experience eating problems during treatment, whether it is from nausea or a change in appetite or changes in taste or certain medications like steroids for example increase people’s appetite, so maybe they are eating more than they usually do, maybe they gain some weight, or a lot of people want that comfort food, maybe they are not eating in the healthiest way.  That’s when she takes a deep dive into the person’s eating habits, making sure there is enough protein, enough fruits and vegetables, not a lot of processed food.  She also watches the time of day in which the person is eating.  For example, if someone eats late at night he or she can have more frequent night-time awakenings.  That might lead to poor sleep and fatigue during the day. 

Dr. Jessa Landmann says the best thing a survivor can do is to look into ways in which they can improve the post-treatment phase of their cancer journey.  There is much more to optimized healing during this difficult time, but she says a great place to start is being proactive about diet and exercise and to try to do as many things as the survivor did before they were diagnosed.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Jessa’s website: https://www.drjessalandmann.com

 

Jessa’s Book: “Beyond Cancer Fatigue: A Path to Reclaiming Energy”, available on Amazon, but Cancer Interviews listeners and viewers can take advantage of a 20 percent discount if they purchase the book on the Wiley Publishing website by entering the code BCF20 at checkout.