Acupuncture

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Common Names

Manual acupuncture
Electroacupuncture
Acustimulation
Acupressure

For Patients & Caregivers

What Is It

Acupuncture is a therapeutic component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It involves the use of very thin needles along with heat, pressure, or electricity to stimulate points on the body, promoting the flow and balance of internal energy.

Acupuncture is effective in treating chronic pain and some symptoms associated with cancer treatment. Studies have shown benefit with acupuncture for postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, hot flashes, peripheral neuropathy, and other side effects caused by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. It can also reduce symptoms such as depression, facial pain, headache, lower back pain, neck pain, shortness of breath, and chronic fatigue.

Acupuncture treatments are generally safe and well tolerated by most patients, including pediatric patients and the elderly. Some conditions may require continuous treatments in order to achieve long-term effect.

How It Works

According to TCM, acupuncture points are thought to be located at specific areas along channels or meridians. Qi (pronounced chee, meaning energy) is believed to flow in this network of channels which connect different parts of the body and organs into a unified system. Pain and symptoms of disease are thought to arise when the flow of Qi is stagnated. Acupuncture treatments are used to promote the flow and balance of Qi to relieve symptoms. It is also known to release pain-relieving or feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Studies in animals and humans have shown that acupuncture can stimulate pain relief, and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Other studies have shown it increases blood flow and may help reduce inflammation, which may also explain pain-relieving effects.

MRI studies show that acupuncture causes changes in the brain that reflect changes in the body. Neuroimaging studies have shown that certain acupoints for dry mouth correlate to saliva production. Studies in patients with peripheral neuropathy show that acupuncture improves nerve signaling.

Researchers are continuing to examine the mechanisms by which acupuncture exerts these effects. Additional findings may help to optimize treatment regimens in the future.

Purported Uses

Cancer treatment-related symptoms
A number of clinical trials support the use of acupuncture in relieving pain, nausea and vomiting, dry mouth, fatigue, and hot flashes resulting from cancer treatments. It is also being evaluated to stimulate appetite, and reduce general physical wasting and unintended weight loss.
Pain
Several clinical trials showed that acupuncture is effective in alleviating pain, including joint pain associated with some cancer treatments, as well as in patients with lung or head and neck cancers.
Anxiety
Several studies have shown that acupressure and acupuncture can help to relieve anxiety related to tests and procedures. It may also help with anxiety in general.
Depression
Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful in reducing depressive symptoms, although results were mixed for major depressive disorder.
Nausea and vomiting
Current oncology guidelines recommend acupuncture and acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). A number of studies also support its use for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and in pediatric cancer populations.
Constipation
Some evidence suggests acupuncture may be helpful for constipation.
Fatigue
Several clinical trials showed that acupuncture reduces fatigue, including fatigue associated with some cancer symptoms.
Headache
This use is supported by clinical trials.
Fibromyalgia
A clinical study finds acupuncture can reduce symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Infertility
Although studies have mixed results, several large trials have not found acupuncture helpful for infertility.
Allergy
A few studies have shown that acupuncture is useful in treating allergic rhinitis when used along with standard care. It may also be helpful on its own in pediatric populations.
Smoking
Studies on whether acupuncture may help in smoking cessation are mixed. Additional studies are needed.

Side Effects

Acupuncture is generally safe when performed by trained practitioners. Failure to remove needles, bleeding, hematoma, dizziness, and pain have been reported. Rare instances of collapsed lung, local infections, or burns caused by moxibustion have occurred.

Acupuncture should be avoided or additional precautions taken if:

You have low white blood cell count, low platelet count, or heart murmur (symptom of endocarditis): Acupuncture may increase risk of infection and bleeding.
You wear a pacemaker: Electrical stimulation is not advised for patients wearing electronic medical devices.
You have lymphedema: Patients with lymphedema should inform their practitioners before receiving treatment.
You are pregnant: Some acupuncture points can cause strong uterine contractions. Pregnant women should inform practitioners before seeking acupuncture treatment.

Who Can Provide this Service

Cancer patients considering acupuncture should seek certified or state-licensed practitioners who have training or experience in working with this population. Some oncology physicians may also be board-certified acupuncturists.

Where Can I Get Treatment

A majority of National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers offer acupuncture as part of supportive care. Clinical trials at MSK are underway to evaluate acupuncture in cancer patients for nerve damage and chronic pain, and for distress-related insomnia in caregivers.

For Healthcare Professionals

Clinical Summary

Acupuncture is an integral component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that originated more than 2,000 years ago. Treatment involves stimulation of one or more predetermined points on the body along with needles, heat (moxibustion), pressure (acupressure), or electricity (electroacupuncture, EA) for therapeutic effect.

Acupuncture is beneficial for osteoarthritis of the knee ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾, chronic neck pain ⁽⁴⁾, Bell’s palsy ⁽⁷²⁾, and fibromyalgia symptoms ⁽⁵⁾. Acupressure ⁽⁶⁾ and acupuncture ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ were superior to physical therapy and/or usual care in treating patients with low back pain. Acupuncture reduced high blood pressure ⁽¹⁰⁾ and hot flash severity ⁽¹¹⁾ in postmenopausal women. It was as effective as counseling for depression symptoms ⁽⁷⁷⁾, but had mixed results for treating major depressive disorder ⁽¹²⁾ ⁽¹³⁾. Acupuncture reduced stroke risk in patients with traumatic brain injury ⁽⁷⁸⁾. Data from clinical trials also support its use for chronic headache ⁽²⁰⁾ ⁽²¹⁾ ⁽²²⁾, and although there was no difference between true and sham acupuncture, both treatments were more effective compared with a no-acupuncture control ⁽²³⁾.

Electroacupuncture was found to be as helpful for stress urinary incontinence as behavioral treatments such as pelvic floor muscle training, with patients expressing similar satisfaction with results ⁽¹⁰⁰⁾. Acupuncture is used to improve reproductive outcomes in women following in vitro fertilization (IVF), but clinical studies yielded conflicting results ⁽²⁴⁾ ⁽²⁵⁾ ⁽²⁶⁾ ⁽²⁷⁾ ⁽²⁸⁾. More recently, large trials did not find acupuncture helpful to improve birth rates for women undergoing IVF ⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ or for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) infertility ⁽¹⁰¹⁾. Acupuncture did not reduce pain in women undergoing induced labor ⁽²⁹⁾, but reduced symptoms of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain ⁽³⁰⁾, and decreased procedural anxiety in patients undergoing lithotripsy ⁽³¹⁾. In children, acupressure also appeared to reduce preprocedural anxiety ⁽³²⁾, while EA reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) ⁽⁸³⁾. Acupuncture may benefit patients with allergic rhinitis ⁽³³⁾ ⁽³⁴⁾, including pediatric patients ⁽⁴⁷⁾. Preliminary evidence also suggests it may be helpful for constipation ⁽⁴⁸⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁵⁾.

Studies on whether acupuncture may help in smoking cessation are mixed ⁽⁶¹⁾ ⁽⁸⁴⁾ ⁽⁸⁵⁾. As an adjunct to standard treatment, acupuncture helped treat dyspnea on exertion in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) ⁽⁶²⁾, and improved health-related quality of life for those with allergic asthma ⁽⁹⁹⁾.

Current oncology guidelines recommend acupuncture and acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) ⁽¹⁰⁸⁾. In addition, data suggest acupuncture may be helpful in cancer pain management ⁽¹⁰⁶⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁷⁾. In patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, acupuncture prevented escalation of nausea, lack of appetite, and drowsiness, and reduced pain medication use ⁽¹⁰³⁾. In lung cancer patients, preliminary evidence suggests acupuncture may improve fatigue ⁽¹⁰⁹⁾, pain, and well-being ⁽⁷⁶⁾. In breast cancer patients, acupuncture alleviated aromatase inhibitor-induced joint pain ⁽¹¹⁰⁾ and stiffness, and improved physical well-being ⁽⁴⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁴⁾ and quality of life ⁽⁹⁶⁾. EA significantly improved fatigue, anxiety, and depression as well as arthralgia compared with usual care ⁽⁸⁶⁾ ⁽⁸⁷⁾. Benefits with acupuncture have also been observed for peripheral neuropathy ⁽¹⁴⁾, including that associated with diabetes ⁽¹⁵⁾, AIDS ⁽¹⁶⁾ ⁽¹⁷⁾, and chemotherapy ⁽¹⁸⁾ ⁽¹⁹⁾ ⁽⁸⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁵⁾.

For hot flashes in breast cancer patients, acupuncture was as effective as standard care ⁽⁴⁵⁾. In addition, EA was more effective than gabapentin with fewer side effects ⁽⁸²⁾, and comparable to gabapentin for improving sleep quality ⁽⁹⁸⁾. In prostate cancer patients, early phase studies also suggest that acupuncture may relieve hot flashes ⁽⁶⁴⁾ ⁽⁶⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁶⁾, but effects in non-cancer menopausal patients are mixed ⁽⁹⁵⁾ ⁽⁹⁷⁾.

Acupuncture did not reduce postoperative ileus from standard surgery ⁽⁴⁰⁾ ⁽⁵⁶⁾, but EA did reduce postoperative ileus and analgesic use after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer ⁽⁷³⁾. Other studies in cancer patients ⁽¹¹¹⁾ and perimenopausal women ⁽¹¹²⁾ suggest acupuncture may be useful for insomnia. Studies on whether acupuncture can reduce lymphedema are mixed ⁽¹¹³⁾ ⁽¹¹⁴⁾.

In palliative cancer care, acupuncture is being evaluated as an intervention to reduce cachexia and unintentional weight loss ⁽⁸⁸⁾ ⁽⁸⁹⁾. Its use has also been associated with increased appetite ⁽⁹⁰⁾. Various forms of acupuncture have been found to alleviate pain ⁽³⁵⁾ ⁽³⁶⁾ ⁽⁶⁷⁾, xerostomia following head and neck radiotherapy ⁽³⁶⁾ ⁽⁴³⁾ ⁽⁴⁴⁾ ⁽⁶³⁾ ⁽⁷⁰⁾, fatigue ⁽³⁷⁾ ⁽⁷¹⁾, PONV ⁽³⁸⁾ ⁽⁹¹⁾, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) ⁽³⁹⁾ ⁽⁴¹⁾ ⁽⁸¹⁾ ⁽⁹²⁾ ⁽⁹³⁾.

Acupuncture is generally safe, well tolerated ⁽⁴⁷⁾ ⁽⁴⁸⁾ ⁽⁴⁹⁾ ⁽⁶⁸⁾ ⁽⁶⁹⁾, and cost-effective ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽³³⁾ ⁽³⁴⁾. Some conditions require continuous treatments in order to achieve long-term effect. Animal studies suggest caffeine can inhibit the pain relieving effect of acupuncture ⁽¹⁰²⁾. Pregnant women, patients with lymphedema, those wearing pacemakers, and those with low platelet count should inform their practitioners before receiving treatment.

Cancer patients considering acupuncture should seek certified or state-licensed practitioners who have training or experience in working with cancer patients. Some oncology physicians may also be board-certified acupuncturists. Clinical trials at MSK are underway to evaluate acupuncture in cancer patients for nerve damage and chronic pain, and for distress-related insomnia in caregivers.

Purported Uses

Cancer treatment-related symptoms
Pain
Anxiety
Depression
Nausea and vomiting
Constipation
Fatigue
Headache
Infertility
Allergy
Smoking cessation

Mechanism of Action

According to TCM, acupuncture points are thought to be located at specific areas along channels or meridians. Qi (pronounced chee, meaning energy) is believed to flow in this network of channels which connect different parts of the body and organs into a unified system. Pain and symptoms of disease are thought to arise when the flow of Qi is stagnated. Acupuncture treatments are used to promote the flow of Qi to relieve symptoms. It is also known to stimulate release of endogenous opioids.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can induce analgesia, but that effect was blocked by naloxone, an opioid antagonist ⁽⁵⁰⁾ ⁽⁵¹⁾. Further, mice lacking opiate receptors showed low analgesic effect following electroacupuncture (EA) ⁽⁵²⁾. Acupuncture also increases neuropeptide Y in animals suggesting it may help to reduce stress and depression ⁽⁵⁹⁾ ⁽⁶⁰⁾. Recent research shows that EA inhibits pain through different opioid receptors under varying conditions, but the mechanisms warrant further investigation ⁽⁵³⁾. EA was shown to increase ovarian blood flow via ovarian sympathetic nerves in rats ⁽⁵⁴⁾.

Acupuncture protects against cerebral ischemia by increasing blood flow to the ischemic brain region via neural regulation ⁽⁵⁵⁾. The systemic antiinflammatory activities of EA are thought to be modulated by dopamine ⁽⁷⁹⁾.

Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have shown that acupuncture elicits changes in the brain that appear to correlate with neurological effects produced ⁽⁵⁷⁾. Needling of LI-2, one of several acupoints used to treat xerostomia, is associated with neuroimaging changes correlated to saliva production ⁽⁵⁸⁾. Results from a study done in patients with peripheral neuropathy indicate that acupuncture improves nerve conduction ⁽¹⁴⁾.

The long-term post-treatment benefits seen with EA, and to a lesser extent with sham-EA, but not with gabapentin for the treatment of hot flashes among breast cancer survivors suggest that both types of acupuncture produce underlying physiologic changes not induced by pharmacologic intervention ⁽⁸²⁾. That sham-EA demonstrated greater placebo effects with reduced nocebo effects than pill-placebo ⁽⁸²⁾ also may explain why some acupuncture trials find similar efficacy between active and sham interventions. Other data indicate that a higher baseline expectancy of response predicts treatment response with sham-EA but not EA, suggesting there are divergent mechanisms and that patients who have a low expectancy may do better with EA than sham-EA ⁽⁹⁴⁾.

Contraindications

Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or history of endocarditis
Acupuncture may increase risk of infection and bleeding. Use with caution.
Pregnancy
Pregnant women should inform practitioners before seeking acupuncture treatment.
Pacemakers
Electrical stimulation is contraindicated for patients wearing electronic medical devices.

Adverse Reactions

Acupuncture is generally safe when performed by trained practitioners. Failure to remove needles, bleeding, hematoma, dizziness, and pain have been reported. Pneumothorax, local infections, and burns caused by moxibustion are rare ⁽⁴⁹⁾ ⁽⁶⁸⁾ ⁽⁶⁹⁾.

Dosage (OneMSK Only)

References

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Rithirangsriroj K, Manchana T, Akkayagorn L. Efficacy of acupuncture in prevention of delayed chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting in gynecologic cancer patients. Gynecol Oncol. 2015 Jan;136(1):82-6.
Mao JJ, Bowman MA, Xie SX, et al. Electroacupuncture Versus Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. 2015 Nov 1;33(31):3615-20.
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Di YM, May BH, Zhang AL, et al. A meta-analysis of ear-acupuncture, ear-acupressure and auriculotherapy for cigarette smoking cessation. Drug Alcohol Depend. Sep 1 2014;142:14-23.
White AR, Rampes H, Liu JP, et al. Acupuncture and related interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;1:Cd000009.
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Cheng CS, Chen LY, Ning ZY, et al. Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer patients: a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Support Care Cancer. Dec 2017;25(12):3807-3814.
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Garland SN, Xie SX, DuHamel K, et al. The effect of acupuncture versus cognitive behavior therapy on insomnia in cancer survivors: A randomized clinical trial. Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL June 1-5, 2018 J Clin Oncol. 2018;36:(suppl; abstr 10001).
Fu C, Zhao N, Liu Z, et al. Acupuncture Improves Peri-menopausal Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sleep. Nov 1 2017;40(11).
Bao T, Iris Zhi W, Vertosick EA, et al. Acupuncture for breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. Jul 2018;170(1):77-87.
Cassileth BR, Van Zee KJ, Yeung KS, et al. Acupuncture in the treatment of upper-limb lymphedema: results of a pilot study. Cancer. Jul 1 2013;119(13):2455-2461.
Bao T, Seidman AD, Piulson L, A phase IIA trial of acupuncture to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity during neoadjuvant or adjuvant weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Eur J Cancer. 2018 Sep;101:12-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2018.06.008

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