Meditation
Meditation refers to a variety of practices to focus the mind and increase awareness. A person who is meditating may use certain techniques, such as specific postures and attention to breathing. Meditation has been examined as a way to address anxiety, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep-wake disturbances, and fatigue in patients with cancer. It has also been examined as a way to address caregiver strain and burden.
Medical Clowning
Medical clowning is the use of trained clowns in the healthcare setting to distract, empower, and relieve stress or other symptoms among pediatric patients and their families through humor and laughter.
Mechanical Exercise Device
One exercise facilitating device studied consisted of a pulley system with a metal wheel fixed on a support at a specified distance from the patient's body, aimed at controlling joint movement and spine posture during arm exercises. Other types of devices have been designed and studied to provide mechanical assistance for exercise.
Massage/Aromatherapy Massage
Massage therapy involves the manipulation of the soft-tissue with various hand movements (e.g., rubbing, kneading, pressing, rolling, slapping, tapping). Massage therapy can elicit a relaxation response as measured by decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration. Often, massage is complemented with aromatherapy (i.e., essential oils combined with a carrier cream or oil to manipulate the soft tissues). Aromatherapy has been used together with massage in some studies.
Manuka and Kanuka
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) are indigenous to New Zealand and have been used medicinally by both Maori and early European colonists. Both of these essential oils are known to have antibacterial and antifungal activity and contain subtances that have anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions. Manuka and kanuka were examined for their effect on mucositis.
Manual Lymph Drainage
Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a treatment technique that uses a series of rhythmic light strokes to reduce swelling and improve the return of lymph to the circulatory system.
Managing Patient Expectations
Managing patient expectations involves influencing the patient regarding the anticipation of symptom development or effectiveness of an intervention through education and discussion. This type of intervention is based on the idea that if patients expect to have a problem, they are more likely to do so, and if patients expect an intervention for symptoms to be effective, it is more likely to be effective. Education and discussion are pointed to diminish negative expectations.
Management of Concurrent Symptoms
Management of concurrent symptoms involves assessment, intervention, and ongoing monitoring and management of multiple patient symptoms that are experienced at the same time, rather than interventions focused on a single problem. Many concurrent symptoms may be seen as a symptom cluster, often occurring together. Studies have been done to examine the effect of managing multiple symptoms on the patients' experience of a variety of individual patient outcomes.
"Magic" Mouthwash (Mixed Medication Mouthwash)
Magic mouthwash is used to treat oral mucositis associated with chemotherapy or radiation. The composition of magic mouthwash varies widely and may include antibiotics, antihistamines, local anesthetics, antifungals, corticosteroids, or antacids. The majority of magic mouthwash formulations are intended to be held in the mouth for one to two minutes and then spit or swallowed.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin used in the human body for the synthesis of proteins for blood coagulation and the binding of calcium ions. A form of vitamin K, vitamin K1, is synthesized by plants and is found in a high concentration in green, leafy vegetables. Vitamin K1-based creams have been investigated in mitigating skin toxicities caused by cancer treatment.