By Leland Kim on March 26, 2012

Breast cancer survivor Helen Robillard closes her eyes as she gently rotates her arms clockwise. Her movements are measured and deliberate; her breathing slow and purposeful.

She studies qigong (pronounced chee-gung), an ancient Chinese practice of aligning breath, movement and awareness for healing and exercise, including through this class at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.

Its a very relaxing class, so you really learn to slow down, Robillard says during a break. It allows me to focus on my movements, where my hands are, where my feet are and its stress reduction.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2009, Robillard added qigong and other integrative medicine classes at Osher to the standard recovery regimen after several rounds of chemotherapy sapped her strength.

Im building little muscles in my legs that help in my balance, she says. I can close my eyes at points and be off somewhere else. I can focus and be aware of my movements. It adds to my awareness of how I can relax when Im stressed.

Margaret Chesney, PhD, director of the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, left, and Donald Abrams, MD, a UCSF oncologist, review a report on the state of integrative medicine in America.

That focus and relaxation are key aspects of integrative medicine.

This kind of program allows you to exercise in a comfortable, soft, not strenuous way, and will allow almost anybody to participate, said Joseph Acquah, OMD, a licensed acupuncturist at the Osher Center. Its very soft; its gentle. Its calming. You get to use your mind and body at the same time and theres a focus which is always good for health.

The term integrative medicine didnt exactly roll off peoples tongues when UCSF established the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine in 1997. UCSF Chancellor Emeritus Haile Debas, MD, then dean of the UCSF School of Medicine, with support from the Bernard Osher Foundation created a center that would test the effectiveness of complementary medicine through research, as well incorporate the best of these strategies into professional education and patient care.

Read the original:
Integrative Medicine Classes Help Breast Cancer Survivors Recover