Chemotherapy is a common treatment for cancer, and many of the drugs used in chemotherapy cause nausea and vomiting in patients. Preventative medications can reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy, but for patients who still experience nausea, acupuncture may be an effective complementary treatment. If you are considering acupuncture, consult your doctor first to make sure it is right for you.
Chemotherapy, Nausea and Vomiting
Chemotherapy drugs cause nausea and vomiting by prompting cells in the small intestine to release serotonin. This eventually triggers the vomiting reflex in the brain, leading to acute nausea within a few hours after chemotherapy, which can last up to 24 hours. These adverse effects can severely detract from the patient’s quality of life. In fact, according to a 1989 study published in the "Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine," up to 20 percent of cancer patients may discontinue chemotherapy treatments as a result of the side effects. Among the hundreds of chemotherapy drugs on the market today, several are more likely to cause nausea and vomiting than others.
Acupuncture after Chemotherapy
In a pilot program by the authors of the 1989 study, acupuncture after chemotherapy was shown to reduce nausea in 12 out of 15 patients. The patients received five minutes of electroacupuncture immediately after receiving chemotherapy. In the larger trial that followed the pilot study, however, acupuncture was administered before chemotherapy and the patients only received acupuncture after treatment if they still suffered from the effects of nausea. Acupuncture point P6, which is located near the wrist, has been the focus of clinical trials studying the effects of acupuncture on chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Research and Effectiveness
Many studies have been conducted on the use of acupuncture to relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea, and the National Cancer Institute notes that the results have shown acupuncture to be an effective treatment. When used to treat the acute vomiting and nausea that occur within a few hours after chemotherapy, acupuncture has proven effective; however, it has not been conclusively shown to reduce delayed nausea in the days that follow.
Considerations
While acupuncture has been shown to reduce the effects of nausea after chemotherapy, only one study has tested acupuncture used along with modern anti-nausea drugs. This study showed no added benefit to using acupuncture along with the medication. Several studies have shown that electroacupuncture may be particularly beneficial; however, electroacupuncture should not be used on patients with pacemakers or with a history of heart disease, strokes, epilepsy or seizures.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Chemotherapy
- National Cancer Institute: Acupuncture
- Medical Acupuncture; Acupuncture For Refractory Cases Of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea And Vomiting; Maria del C. Guerra, MD; 2001
- “Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings”; Acupuncture as a Complementary Therapy in Chemotherapy-induced Nausea and Vomiting; Ling Ma, M.D., M.S.; April 2009
- “Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine”; Acupuncture Prophylaxis of Cancer Chemotherapy-induced sickness; J.W. Dundee, et al.; May 1989
- Acupuncture Today: Electroacupuncture
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