If you or someone you know is dealing with ongoing pain or currently undergoing breast cancer treatment, acupuncture may provide relief. Acupuncture, a drug-free pain management option, helps to control and improve many side effects from chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
Several studies have shown that acupuncture can help with pain, fatigue, insomnia, neuropathy, and nausea. One of the most significant benefits of acupuncture is that it lasts for months, unlike pain medications, which many patients must take frequently.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a central part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an ancient system of medicine. A fundamental belief in Chinese medicine is that vital energy “qi” (pronounced “chee”) flows through 20 pathways in the body. Therefore, if qi is blocked, the body can’t function at its peak. The goal of acupuncture is to open specific points on these pathways and release blocked qi.
The practice of acupuncture uses sterile, hair-thin needles inserted into specific points on the skin, called "acupuncture points," and then gently moved. Researchers theorize that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release natural painkillers and immune system cells. They then travel to weakened areas of the body and relieve symptoms.
While there is no evidence to show that acupuncture can help treat or cure cancer, multiple studies have confirmed that it provides excellent pain management options. In addition, growing evidence suggests that acupuncture surpassed other pain therapies, such as physical therapy, steroids, and pain medicine traditionally used to ease ongoing muscle and joint pain among cancer survivors.
Acupuncture is considered a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the term for medical products and practices not included in standard medical care. Other forms of CAM include massage, tai chi, and drinking green tea.