Top Benefits of Acupuncture in Cancer Care
Reduced nausea, vomiting and fatigue associated with chemotherapy.
According to the National Cancer Institute, there is strong evidence that acupuncture can relieve nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.
Pain relief from neuropathy, incisions, tumors or chronic issues
Studies looking at pain control using acupuncture suggest that it may help reduce the pain associated with cancer as well as from surgery. It may help reduce the amount of pain medications needed, and consequently some of the side effects of those pain medicines. Acupuncture can improve circulation in the body leading to regeneration of damaged nerves (neuropathy) and improve healing of scar tissue.
Improved digestion
Radiation treatments may lead to pain and swelling in the mouth and throat making it difficult to swallow. Some patients lose their sense of taste as well. Acupuncture has been shown to decrease these side effects allowing the patient to be able to swallow, eat and drink normally. Acupuncture can also help restore appetite and regulate patterns of elimination.
Assist in stress management
Cancer patients who use this treatment claim that they feel calmer, and that they feel happier. Additionally, many of them report less worry and anxiety. They report feeling more mentally alert and more emotionally stable. There are specific acupuncture points that will help the nervous system relax when there is a constant feeling of anxiety or adrenaline, thus treatments can help improve sleep as well.
Ongoing physical, mental and emotional support
Regular acupuncture can identify imbalances and guide patients to move towards more optimal health. Acupuncture stimulates the natural healing process of the body to aid in restoring health and balance. Research shows that acupuncture is safe, effective and gentle, without unwanted side effects.
References Source: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Clinical Researches
Much research is being done on how acupuncture can help relieve some of the symptoms of cancer and side effects of cancer treatment. Acupuncture has been shown to help relieve fatigue, hot flashes, nausea, vomiting, and pain.
The most thorough study of acupuncture in breast cancer patients was published in Journal of the American Medical Association in 2000. In the study, 104 women undergoing high-dose chemotherapy were given traditional anti-nausea medication. In addition to taking the medication, the women were randomly chosen to receive 5 days of electroacupuncture (acupuncture in which needles are stimulated with a mild electrical current), acupuncture without an electrical current, or no acupuncture. The women who had acupuncture had significantly fewer nausea episodes than those who didn't.
Another study, completed at Duke University and published in 2002, compared the use of acupuncture to the use of Zofran (chemical name: ondansetron), an anti-nausea medication, before breast cancer surgery to reduce the nausea that can occur after surgery. The acupuncture treatment was found to work better than Zofran at controlling nausea.
In a French study published in 2003, acupuncture was examined in the treatment of cancer-related pain. Patients treated with acupuncture had a 36% reduction in pain after 2 months of acupuncture treatments, compared with a 2% reduction in pain in the patients receiving a placebo type of acupuncture.
In one very preliminary 2004 study at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, acupuncture was shown to reduce post-chemotherapy fatigue by 31% in people with various types of cancer. In 2005, another preliminary study of breast cancer patients in Sweden showed that acupuncture reduced hot flashes by half. While doctors find these results encouraging, they are still very early results and require further study.
References Source: www.breastcancer.org
