Cancer Treatment Side Effects & Supportive and Palliative Care
Acupuncture for neuropathy
Acupuncture effects on analgesia in neuropathic pain have been reported in the literature. For example, a randomized control study involving 90 cancer patients with neuropathic pain post-cancer treatment fount that auricular acupuncture was effective in decreasing neuropathic pain. Pain intensity decreased by 36% at 2 months from baseline in the group receiving acupuncture while there was little change for patients receiving placebo (2%). The difference between groups was statistically significant (P<.0001)
Safety
When delivered by properly trained licensed acupuncturists, acupuncture is a safe practice with a history of very rare adverse events (related to extremely low platelet count, under 20000 per ml).
Recommendations
Acupuncture is recommended for the co-management of neuropathy in oncology patients.
References - Hide References
- Alimi D, Rubino C, Pichard-Leandri E, Fermand-Brule S, Dubreuil-Lemaire ML, Hill C. Analgesic effect of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:4120-4126.
- Alimi D, Rubino C, Leandri EP, Brule SF. Analgesic effects of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2000;19:81-82.
- Gadsby JG, Franks A, Jarvis P, Dewhurst F. Acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation within palliative care: a pilot study. Complement Ther Med. 1997;5:13-18.
- Wong, R., & Sagar, S. (2006). Acupuncture treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathyÑA case series. Acupuncture in Medicine, 24(2), 87Ð91.