Acupuncture Finds Use in Reducing Hot Flashes
October 02, 2010 05:24pm EST
-William Anders
July
22, 2010- Acupuncture continues to grow in usefulness as an alternative
therapy. The treatment is characterized by the insertion of thin
needles into different parts of the body, and is used today to treat
chronic pain, nausea or vomiting, as an anesthetic and even to treat
addictions. That is, if you believe the many trials equating acupuncture
treatment to drug therapy.
A recent article by well
known surgeon and Oncologist Mark Balch highlighted evidence showing
that acupuncture can be effective in treating hot flashes, a common
condition experienced by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or
hormone therapy. The condition can be debilitating, causing symptoms
such as sweating, anxiety, dizziness, and weakness.
By
analyzing two different studies measuring the efficacy of acupuncture as
a treatment for hot flashes, it was found that, while acupuncture
showed positive results, those results are not completely convincing. In
one study, conducted over 12 weeks and studying 50 breast cancer
patients, acupuncture was found to be equivalent to drug therapy (using
venlafaxine, a hot flash drug). In another larger study, spanning 4
weeks, showed little statistically relevant change when studying
acupuncture and sham acupuncture, pointing to a possible placebo effect.
While
not completely proven, the use of acupuncture as a treatment for hot
flashes has shown enough effectiveness to warrant additional research.
As of now, acupuncture seems like a strong candidate for an adjuvant
therapy to conventional treatments for hot flashes.
BREAKING NEWS
- 17:30 » Trial Shows Discovery In Acute ACL Injury Treatment
- 13:47 » Sensor-Augmented Insulin Pump versus Traditional Insulin Injections in Diabetes Management
- 21:41 » Breast Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise
- 21:43 » Genetic Risk and Lifestyle Risks Independent in Breast Cancer
- 17:28 » Short Hospital Stays Common Among Heart Failure
