NYC Acupuncture For Patients Seeking Treatment for Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy

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

Recent Research Supports the Use of Acupuncture

Research at major medical institutions indicate that acupuncture is effective for treating many of the side effects of chemotherapy, including neuropathy. Acupuncture can reduce the overall occurrence of neuropathy, its intensity and duration.

In many cases neuropathy can be of such an intensity that chemotherapy is delayed or dosages must be reduced, resulting in prolonged courses of chemotherapy and in some cases diminished effectiveness. While some patients respond well to drugs such as neurontin, oxycodone, morphine and pregabalin, to manage the intensity of the neuropathy, these drugs are not effective or advisable for all patients.

Unlike western pharmaceutical treatments, acupuncture is extremely safe, has virtually no side effects, and can dramatically reduce the neuropathy. In one study it was found that acupuncture reduced neuropathies by 36%. In this study patients were randomized into three groups. One group received real acupuncture at real acupuncture points, another received real acupuncture at locations not recognized as acupuncture points and the third received sham acupuncture at points not recognized as acupuncture points.

Patients in the true acupuncture group reported a 36% decrease of pain intensity. The two placebo groups reported improvements in the range of 2%. D. Alimi, C. Rubino, E. Pichard-L´eandri, S. Fermand-Brul´e, M. L. Dubreuil-Lemaire, and C. Hill, Analgesic effect of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial: Journal of Clinical Oncology, vol. 21, no. 22, pp. 4120–4126, 2003.

In a case study, of a patient who had been unable to walk because of the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, after six acupuncture treatments, his pain went from a rating of 8 out of 10 down to an intensity of 2 out of 10. T Bao, R Zhang, A Badros, and Lao: Acupuncture Treatment for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Report Pain Research and Treatment Vol. 2011, Article ID 920807, 4 pages doi:10.1155/2011/920807.

While results will always vary from patient to patient, acupuncture is an effective treatment for many patients.

For further information about NYC Acupuncture please contact Elizabeth 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

Go to nyc acupuncture chemotherapy support program