Acupuncture and chemotherapy
Acupuncture and chemotherapy
Acupuncture in
combination with the recent drugs relieves vomiting owing to
chemotherapy. In spite of the adventure of anti-emetics controlling
nausea as well as vomiting due to chemotherapy, numerous cancer
patients yet experience unpleasant side effects that impair the quality
of life causing emotional distress. This also aggravates cancer related
symptoms such as lethargy, weight loss and weakness. National health
institute researches have found the ancient Chinese acupuncture
effective in treating various ailments by triggering specific points.
This has gained popularity for chemotherapy induced vomiting and nausea
as well. The researched pooled many trials and data and the impact that
acupuncture point had on the trigger induced nausea due to
chemotherapy. They tried various types of acupuncture comprising of
electroacupuncture involving an electric current passing through thin
needles penetrating the skin. Similarly, manual acupuncture involving
insertion as well as manual rotation of fine needles and the pressure
applied with fingers and even the non-invasive electrostimulation of
the skin surface employing a device identical to wristwatch. The
researches tried various attempts of acupuncture and observed that
patients experiencing vomiting after chemotherapy was only 22 percent
in comparison to the patients who underwent chemotherapy, but did not
get involved with acupuncture were 31 percent. It was observed that
electroacupuncture decreases vomiting on the initial day, but the
non-invasive electrostimulation do not have affect. Manual acupuncture
appears to be ineffective for chemotherapy induced vomiting or nausea.
Acupressure decreases the nausea on the first day, but is not found to
be very effective for delayed signs of vomiting or nausea.
Patients received anti-emetics except for the patients who were in the
electroacupuncture trials who received drugs such as Dolasetron
mesylate and Ondansetron that are presently recommended for nausea and
vomiting relating to chemotherapy. Acupuncture can definitely decrease
the likelihood of vomiting after chemotherapy for 24 hours as per the
recent studies. Acupuncture refers to 2000 year old medical procedure
of china and this was employed to cure various ailments stimulating
anatomical points in the body. This was done using thin needles
penetrating the skin. The Electroacupuncture refers to the small
electrical current passing through the inserted needle. This was done
to decrease the incidence of vomiting after chemotherapy. The
electroacupuncture did not make use of anti-vomiting drugs such as
Anzemet and Zofran that are normally recommended treatment for
chemotherapy related vomiting or nausea. The trials have proved that
electroacupuncture trials were ancient drugs, but were useful in
controlling vomiting related to chemotherapy. This has recently been
tried and is found to be successful.