Xerostomia (dry mouth) “is the sensation you may feel when you don’t have enough saliva (spit).” It can be caused by certain medications and underlying health conditions including salivary stones, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Xerostomia also may occur in conjunction with radiation treatment for cancer, particularly head and neck cancer, and may become chronic post-treatment.
A new randomized clinical trial1 involving 258 patients with head and neck cancer and suffering from radiation-induced xerostomia compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture and standard intervention for improving xerostomia symptoms and overall quality of life. The three-arm, placebo-controlled trial recruited patients from community-based U.S. cancer centers (33 sites in 13 states) participating in the Wake Forest National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program Research Base.
All patients reported grade two or three radiation-induced xerostomia 12 months or more after receiving bilateral radiotherapy as part of their cancer treatment. Patients were randomized into one of three groups: true acupuncture, sham acupuncture or standard oral hygiene (the control group). Patients in the acupuncture cohorts were treated two times a week for four weeks. (Patients who experienced a “minor” response to initial treatment received an additional four weeks of treatment.)
A total of 14 points, body and ear, were used for both acupuncture groups, with each session lasting 20 minutes. True acupuncture points “were at 3 sites on each ear (Shenmen, point 0, salivary gland 2-prime), a site on the chin (CV24), a site on each forearm (LU7), a site on each hand (LI 1-prime), and a site on each leg (K6) with 1 placebo needle at GB32 for a total of 14 sites.”
According to findings, published in JAMA Network Open, nearly a third (31.3% of patients receiving true acupuncture experienced a partial response at week four, compared with only 17.1% of patients in the sham group and only 14.1% of patients in the control (standard oral hygiene) group. The differences between true acupuncture patients vs. controls persisted through week 12. “Although there was some suggestion of a sham effect, the benefits of sham treatment were minimal and not associated with improvements in overall [quality of life].”
The research team concluded: “Although acupuncture mechanisms are not well understood, findings from multiple studies suggest possible central nervous system effects through manipulation of the fascia. Studies have revealed significant increased blood flow in the skin of the cheek of patients with xerostomia. Other plausible hypotheses suggest that increased production of certain neuropeptides after acupuncture stimulation may cause vasodilation and increased microcirculation.”
Reference
Governor Gavin Newsom has retracted the proposed budget cuts to the Medi-Cal acupuncture program for low-income Californians for the 2024-2025 budget year. This decision marks a significant victory for health care providers and advocates who have long championed acupuncture as a vital component of comprehensive medical care.
There’s no doubt that many of your patients visit your practice because they are in pain. And there’s certainly no doubt that curcumin from turmeric (Curcuma longa) can be incredibly effective in stopping that pain, whether due to chronic conditions like arthritis or acute pain from intensive workouts. But your patients may also benefit from curcumin for other reasons.
| Digital Exclusive
Fair and appropriate wages in health care are typically based on economic evaluations. A simple literature review illuminates that acupuncture is missing economic evaluations; which implies you are either underpaid or overpaid. The complexity of services provided by most American acupuncturists, which they are trained and certified to provide, must be reimbursed fairly.
