NYC Acupuncture for Patients Seeking Relief from Chemotherapy Induced Joint Pain.

West Village Acupuncture
4 Milligan Place
Suite 1F
New York, N.Y. 10011
6th Ave btwn 10th & 11th
917.968.2854

Patients Suffering from Chemotherapy Induced
Joint Pain Can Find Relief with NYC Acupuncture Therapy.

Some cancer treatments have a significant effect on the joints resulting in joint instability and associated pain. This is especially in particular type of breast cancer which is treated with aromatase inhibitors (AI's). AI's block the body's natural production of aromatase.

What Are Aromatases and Why do they Cause Joint Pain

Aromatases are natural substances which our bodies use to produce estrogen. In those breast cancers which are sensitive to estrogen (grow faster in the presence of estrogen), substances which interfere with aromatase production are used to reduce estrogen levels in the body. The result is that the cancer cannot grow, because estrogen levels are not sufficient to support cancer growth.

In addition to its role in gender specific characteristics and fertility, estrogen also has an influence on the inflammatory process and pain sensation. Specifically, estrogen helps to moderate inflammation and specific pain receptors. When estrogen levels are lessened as a result of AI treatment, patients experience inflammation and have lower pain thresholds because pain receptors are enlarged, with the result that pain sensation is increased. So while AI's have proven to be an effective cancer treatment for certain breast cancers, the increased pain sensation presents a real difficulty for many patients.

Results Of Columbia University Study Of Acupuncture for AI Joint Pain

In a recent study conducted at Columbia University, researchers reported significant improvement in pain conditions after 6 weeks of acupuncture. The patients who received real acupuncture, as contrasted with those who received sham (not real) acupuncture showed significantly greater improvement in pain stiffness, functional ability and overall physical well-being. Crew K, Capodice J, Greenlee H, Brafman L, Fuentes D, Awad D, Tsai W, Hershman D: Randomized, Blinded, Sham-Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Management of Aromatase Inhibitor–Associated Joint Symptoms in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer. J Clinical Oncology 28: 1154-1160, 2010.

At baseline participants reported worst pain at the level of 6.7 out of 10 for the true acupuncture group and 5.6 out of 10 for the sham acupuncture group. At six weeks, the true acupuncture group reported worst pain at a level of 3.0 as compared with 5.5 for the sham group. Id. at 1156.

For additional information about the use of acupuncture to treat the many side effects of chemotherapy, please call Elizabeth B. Healy, L.Ac. at 917.968.2854

West Village Acupuncture
4 Milligan Place
Suite 1F
New York, N.Y. 10011
6th Ave btwn 10th & 11th
917.968.2854

For more Information on NYC Acupuncture Chemotherapy Support