Acupuncture For Oncology Support
Cancer comes with a heavy mixture of dread and fear. While, unfortunately, acupuncture can’t cure cancer, it can help relieve some of the debilitating symptoms of the disease and its treatments.
Acupuncture has been proven to help alleviate cancer symptoms such as fatigue, pain relief, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, depression, and neuropathy symptoms. The last one there refers to the numbness or pins-and-needles sensation that people in treatment may experience.
Acupuncture has also been shown to help other symptoms, including:
Nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy
Xerostomia related to radiation therapy
Hot flashes related to hormone treatment
Joint pain related to aromatase inhibitor therapy
Physical pain
While acupuncture is generally safe for patients of all ages, there are a few areas of caution to keep in mind for some patients. Don’t worry; we will thoroughly review your medical history before starting any treatment during your initial consultation.
Acupuncture isn’t right for you in the following circumstances:
Bleeding: If you have a bleeding disorder, low platelet counts, or take blood thinners. Your doctor can let you know what levels of blood counts are safe for receiving acupuncture.
Infection: If you have low white blood cell counts, you have a higher risk of infection.
Lymphedema: If you have had lymph nodes removed, often under the arm, do not have needles inserted in that area. There are concerns that acupuncture in that area might increase the risk of infection. Studies are ongoing in examining that risk as well as the potential benefits of acupuncture in treating lymphedema.
Living with a cancer diagnosis can become manageable physically and mentally with the right tools and support system. At Soul Sprout, we are here to provide the expertise, care, and trustworthy guidance you need to leverage alternative medicine to its fullest. We know you have enough on your mind, so we’ll do our best to lighten your load.
If you or someone you know is a cancer survivor, acupuncture is a fantastic resource for ongoing pain management. Many cancer survivors can experience pain years after their treatment is over, so consider acupuncture as a tool to nip that in the bud!
