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Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
68% of patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from Peripheral neuropathy, which involves tingling, numbness, and pain in the fingers and toes. One treatment that targets nerve injury and speeds up recovery is acupuncture.
Peripheral Neuropathy
One typical side effect of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments is peripheral neuropathy.
Usually, it causes discomfort, tingling, and numbness in the fingers and toes. The "glove and stocking" pattern of discomfort might intensify and spread to other parts of the limbs.
Sixty-eight percent of chemotherapy patients develop peripheral neuropathy. Six months after the conclusion of chemotherapy, it is still present in thirty percent of patients (Seretny 2014). It could be a persistent problem for certain individuals.
Taking care of nerve discomfort is essential. It is inconvenient and interferes with relaxation and sleep. It may also impact independence, or the capacity to move around and perform tasks. Furthermore, it is a frequent cause for patients to cut back on, alter, or cease their cancer therapies.
Treating Peripheral Neuropathy
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy currently has relatively few viable treatment options (CIPN). Strong painkillers and antidepressants can be prescribed by your medical team, but they frequently have significant negative effects.
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​One treatment that targets nerve injury and speeds up recovery is acupuncture.
Acupuncture Treatment For Patients With Cancer
What Can I Expect?
Typically, a therapy regimen consists of six to eight sessions. Even though twice-weekly treatments are ideal, once-weekly treatments can still yield notable outcomes.
In each session, ten to twenty sterile needles are inserted.
Many people find the treatment to be painless and extremely mild. Patient to patient variations may exist in needle positioning. The majority of points are situated below the knees and elbows. The ear has effective locations as well. For 20 to 30 minutes, the needles are left in place.
A reduction in symptoms, for example, may happen right away following the first treatment or may take two to three sessions to manifest. The advantages of any treatment are often multiplied. Eight treatments make up a course of treatment. It will be suggested for certain patients to undergo a second round of therapies to maintain improvements.
What Is The Duration Of Pain Relief?
At first, there may be intermittent variations in the intensity of the pain symptoms. Typically, the course of treatment is followed until the symptoms have stabilized or disappeared. By then, the nerve damage had lessened, and further treatment was no longer necessary.
Will Certain People Benefit More From Acupuncture Than Others?
According to the Franconi 2017 study,
"The results of the seven trials that were evaluated indicated that 40–60% of participants—and up to 82% in one trial—produced measurable improvements." [6].
There is no proof as to who will benefit more from acupuncture.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Book your appointment now with acupuncturist Christine Lee
Read more about Christine Lee's treatment of peripheral neuropathy here.