Alternative therapy for chemo-induced nausea

April 20th 2006

Variations on acupuncture can reduce nausea and vomiting among chemotherapy patients, suggests a new review of the evidence.

These side-effects of chemotherapy are common and can impair quality of life, cause emotional distress and tiredness. In a review published in The Cochrane Library today (19 April), researchers examined the data on whether any of the various modes of acupuncture could bring relief.

They concluded that manual acupuncture - inserting needles into specific ’points’ around the body - does not reduce symptoms of nausea or vomiting on the first day of chemotherapy. (It was not studied for subsequent days.)

But electro-acupuncture - applying electrical stimulation to inserted needles - did reduce first-day vomiting. It was also not studied for long-term symptoms, or for nausea. Acupressure - pressing with fingertips on acupuncture points - reduced first day nausea, but not vomiting.

The studies suggest treatment it is ideally given before symptoms start, and that the benefits of electro-acupuncture last about eight hours, and acupressure about two hours. However, all of the patients were also given anti- nausea or vomiting drugs.

Lead author Dr Jeanette Ezzo of James P. Swyers Enterprises, Baltimore, USA commented: "Acupuncture-point stimulation by any method is believed to be safe, and has minimal side-effects.

"All the studies were done in patients who were using antiemetic drugs, so patients wanting to use acupuncture or acupressure should only considering using it alongside modern antiemetics."

Research is still needed to see whether electro-acupuncture brings additional relief on top of modern anti-sickness drugs, she adds. "Only then will we know whether electroacupuncture might help those who still get sick even using the best medications."

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