How Acupuncture in Dorset Can Support You During Cancer Treatment
Acupuncture offers meaningful support during cancer treatment — helping with fatigue, nausea, immune resilience, and emotional balance. In this post, I share how I work with patients in Christchurch, Dorset, to support the whole person — body, mind, and spirit — alongside conventional care.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of supporting many people through cancer treatment in my clinic here in Christchurch, Dorset. Every story is unique, and every person responds to treatment in their own way. But one thing I often hear is, “I just want to feel like myself again.”
Cancer care has come a long way. Treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies are improving all the time, and that progress brings real hope. But even with the best medical support, cancer treatment can still take an enormous toll — not just on the body, but on the mind and spirit too.
Conventional medicine rightly focuses on treating the disease and saving lives, but we are more than just physical beings. True healing also involves the emotional and spiritual self. This is where acupuncture can offer something deeper. It works on many levels — relieving physical symptoms, supporting the immune system, calming the emotions, and creating a sense of inner steadiness at a time when everything else may feel uncertain.
Acupuncture During Treatment: What It Can Help With
Acupuncture is a safe and gentle treatment that can be used alongside your medical care. In my clinic, I work with people at all stages of cancer treatment — whether newly diagnosed, in the middle of chemotherapy, recovering from surgery, or living with longer-term effects.
Some of the most common areas acupuncture may help with include:
Reducing nausea and improving appetite
Easing fatigue and restoring energy
Supporting restful sleep and reducing anxiety
Managing pain, hot flushes or neuropathy
Helping digestion and bowel function
Calming the nervous system and supporting mood
Each treatment is tailored to the individual and based on how you're feeling that day, both physically and emotionally.
Supporting the Immune System During Chemotherapy
One of the more challenging aspects of chemotherapy is its effect on the immune system. Chemotherapy often reduces white blood cell counts, particularly neutrophils, which are crucial for fighting infection. When these levels drop too low, treatment may have to be paused or delayed to give the body time to recover. This can be stressful and may impact the overall treatment plan.
In some cases, medication is used to stimulate the production of white blood cells. Alongside this, there is growing interest in the role acupuncture and moxibustion can play in supporting the immune system.
In my clinic, I often use a point called Zusanli (ST36), traditionally used in Chinese medicine to strengthen the immune system, digestive function, and overall vitality. When paired with moxibustion — a technique that uses gentle heat to stimulate acupuncture points — this treatment may help support blood cell production and bolster energy during chemotherapy.
Emerging research suggests that acupuncture and moxibustion may help regulate immune function, support white blood cell levels, and potentially reduce the risk of treatment delays. It’s a gentle yet powerful way of working with the body’s own resources.
A Whole-Person Approach
Acupuncture addresses the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. It doesn’t separate physical symptoms from emotional ones, but instead treats them as part of an interconnected whole.
While acupuncture can ease pain, nausea, or insomnia, it can also help calm the mind, lift the mood, and create space for emotional processing. For many people, their sessions become a time to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with themselves — a moment of calm in the middle of a challenging time.
Local Cancer Support in Dorset
If you're going through cancer or supporting someone who is, you might also find these local services helpful:
Macmillan Caring Locally – Based at Christchurch Hospital, offering counselling, practical advice, and family support.
www.macmillanlocal.orgWessex Cancer Trust – Bournemouth Support Centre – Providing free wellbeing classes, counselling and complementary therapies.
www.wessexcancer.org.ukLewis-Manning Hospice Care – Supporting people with life-limiting illnesses, including day hospices, clinics and family support.
www.lewis-manning.org.ukDorset Cancer Care Foundation – Offering financial assistance to help with treatment-related costs.
www.dccf.co.uk
If you're currently navigating cancer treatment and feel drawn to acupuncture as a form of support, I would be honoured to work with you. My clinic in Christchurch, Dorset, offers a calm, welcoming space where your whole self is cared for — body, mind and spirit.
To book an appointment or arrange a free 15-minute call, you can get in touch here or call 07880545943