Cancer pain can be debilitating, whether it's pain caused by the disease itself or pain related to treatment. Fortunately, research suggests acupuncture can serve as a viable, nondrug therapy to combat cancer pain, giving patients already in great physical and emotional distress much-needed relief.
An important systematic review and meta-analysis just published in JAMA Oncology suggests acupuncture and/or acupressure is effective for reducing cancer pain. Researchers examined randomized clinical trials that compared acupuncture and acupressure with a sham control, analgesic therapy or usual care for managing cancer pain.
Overall, 17 RCTs (1,111 total patients) were included in the systematic review, and 14 RCTs (920 total patients) in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome was pain intensity measured by the Brief Pain Inventory, Numerical Rating Scale, Visual Analog Scale, or Verbal Rating Scale, with findings summarized as follows:
"Seven sham-controlled RCTs (35%) were notable for their high quality, being judged to have a low risk of bias for all of their domains, and showed that real (compared with sham) acupuncture was associated with reduced pain intensity."
"A favorable association was also seen when acupuncture and acupressure were combined with analgesic therapy in 6 RCTs for reducing pain intensity. ... and in 2 RCTs for reducing opioid dose."
These findings are significant because, as the authors state, more than 70 percent of cancer patients experience pain, but pain is inadequately controlled in nearly 50 percent of cases; and also because "addiction to analgesics and the adverse effects of pharmacological interventions pose critical challenges to pain management."
Whether you accept it, avoid it or live somewhere in between, insurance coverage has become a defining issue for our profession. Patients increasingly expect to use their benefits, practitioners want to be compensated fairly for their time and expertise, and the system itself remains – at best – fragmented. The encouraging news is that coverage has expanded in meaningful ways. The challenging news is that reimbursement, across the board, remains inadequate.
While the formation of erythema and ecchymosis is an anticipated skin response to cupping therapy, the appearance of post-treatment vesicles remains less discussed in clinical literature. This article presents a case study of vesicle formation following cupping therapy, explores underlying pathophysiology, and offers management guidelines to support practitioners in addressing this phenomenon safely and effectively.
Facial movements are essential for communication, expression and function. But when these movements become involuntary, they can lead to conditions that are not only physically uncomfortable, but also socially and emotionally distressing. Today, we’re taking a closer look at three common facial motor disorders – blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm and facial tics – and how both Western medicine and TCM view and treat them.
