What is phytotherapy?
Phytotherapy is the healing, alleviation and prevention of diseases and symptoms through the use of medicinal plants or their constituents.
For example, flowers, roots, leaves or their components can be used from a plant. They are prescribed as part of extemporaneous formulations or existing phytopharmaceuticals.
When is phytotherapy used?
At the ZIO, phytotherapy is used as a complementary measure to conventional cancer therapy. The main focus is on alleviating symptoms and supporting the immune system in order to strengthen the body and supplement supportive treatment in a targeted manner. Phytotherapeutic applications can be incorporated into rituals or used as a supplement to external treatments. In addition to the purely biochemical effectiveness, many patients report enhanced effects that go beyond conventional medical understanding.
In addition to pain therapy, the treatment of symptoms focuses on alleviating complaints that make everyday life more difficult during chemotherapy or radiotherapy. These include severe fatigue, digestive problems or inner restlessness, anxiety and sleep disorders.
In view of the stressful situation caused by cancer, medium-term phytotherapeutic support for cancer survivorship (living with or after cancer) is a central component of treatment.
How does phytotherapy treatment work and how often is it used?
The course of treatment is individualized, based on the patient's needs and the specific cancer. The treatment comprises several steps:
- Medical history and diagnosticsThe doctor will discuss your medical history with you in order to assess your symptoms from a holistic, traditional and phytotherapeutic perspective. Phytotherapy can be used at any time in addition to supportive treatment, with particular attention being paid to possible interactions during anti-tumor therapy.
- Planning the treatmentAn individual therapy plan is drawn up on the basis of the current situation and appropriate follow-up checks are scheduled.
- Selection of medicinal plantsBased on the diagnosis and symptoms, specific medicinal plants or herbal preparations are selected that can help to alleviate the side effects of cancer therapy.
- Regular intakePatients take the herbal remedies regularly, often in addition to conventional cancer therapy.
- Monitoring and adaptationThe progress of phytotherapy is monitored regularly. The dosage or medicinal plants can be adjusted based on the body's reactions.
Phytotherapy is always individually tailored to the patient and is usually used as a complementary form of therapy in combination with conventional medical measures.