Acupuncture For The Cancer Patient

While your oncologist is treating the cancer directly, I can treat the patient, which is to say improve the quality of life (QOL). This is a great use for acupuncture. Here are a few details of what acupuncture can do for a cancer patient

Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation:

• Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
• Radiotherapy-induced complications
• Cancer-related dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
• Bone marrow suppression
• Suppressed immune system such as shingles
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea
• Poor appetite

General symptoms:

• Cancer-related pain
• Relaxing the nervous system to treat emotional distress. According to the Wellness Community this is the most common and under-reported side-effect of cancer.
• Treatment-related hot flashes
• Postsurgical complications
• Restorative care post-treatment

Kenneth Conklin MD PhD wrote a good review (full text) : The Use of Acupuncture in The Cancer Patient