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Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
Has anyone had acupuncture for Velcade-induced peripheral neuropathy?
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gardengirl - Name: gardengirl
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Nov. 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 47
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
Hi, GardenGirl,
Yes, I got a gift certificate for this treatment and went once. Didn't notice any difference, though one treatment may not be enough to be conclusive. The acupuncturist said they used this therapy often, though usually for people with diabetes-related neuropathy.
Good luck,
Eric
Yes, I got a gift certificate for this treatment and went once. Didn't notice any difference, though one treatment may not be enough to be conclusive. The acupuncturist said they used this therapy often, though usually for people with diabetes-related neuropathy.
Good luck,
Eric
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blizard49 - Name: Eric
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 68
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
Hi gardengirl,
In case you haven't seen it already, we just wanted to mention that you may find some helpful information in this earlier forum thread:
"Acupuncture and myeloma-related pain", forum thread started Sep 8, 2013.
Hope you get some additional helpful feedback.
In case you haven't seen it already, we just wanted to mention that you may find some helpful information in this earlier forum thread:
"Acupuncture and myeloma-related pain", forum thread started Sep 8, 2013.
Hope you get some additional helpful feedback.
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
Hi,
I had peripheral neuropathy from Velcade and went for acupuncture once a week. At first it didn't seem to help, but because I stuck with it and faithfully went once a week, it greatly lessened the pain and tingling.
Now that I've been off chemo for almost 6 months and I've continued with my weekly acupuncture, the neuropathy is almost gone! Another advantage of acupuncture is that my blood levels never dropped to a dangerous point. My acupuncturist also gives me herbs that I believe also helps. I swear by acupuncture!
I had peripheral neuropathy from Velcade and went for acupuncture once a week. At first it didn't seem to help, but because I stuck with it and faithfully went once a week, it greatly lessened the pain and tingling.
Now that I've been off chemo for almost 6 months and I've continued with my weekly acupuncture, the neuropathy is almost gone! Another advantage of acupuncture is that my blood levels never dropped to a dangerous point. My acupuncturist also gives me herbs that I believe also helps. I swear by acupuncture!
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Annette
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
What about PN caused by thalidomide? Would acupuncture help?
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Jsmyth
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
Hello Garden Girl.,
Where I live, there is a community acupuncture center about 10 minutes from my home, and it only costs $20 for a one-hour treatment. Right now, I am suffering terrible PN. I recently had a stem cell transplant (SCT) and the PN is worse than ever now. If you can find an affordable acupuncturist, it is definitely worth a try. Not everyone gets relief, but, yes, acupuncture is helping me and I will continue treatments.
I go twice a week. Soon I will cut down back to once a week and see if that still provides relief. My oncologist gave me the green light when my platelets increased and recovered above 50,000. She said if it helps, go for it!
Here are some links that describe the correct points for relief.
T Bao et al, "Acupuncture Treatment for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Report," Pain Research and Treatment, Oct 31, 2010 (link to full text of article)
Abstract:
Peripheral neuropathy is a common and severe dose-limiting side effect of the chemotherapy agent, bortezomib, in multiple myeloma patients. Treatment with narcotics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants has limited response and potential significant side effects. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective in treating diabetic neuropathy and chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy. There has not been report on the effect of acupuncture in treating bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy specifically. Here, we report a successful case of using acupuncture to relieve bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
T Bao et al, "Improvement of Painful Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Following Acupuncture Treatment in a Case Series of Multiple Myeloma Patients," Medical Acupuncture, Sep 2012 (link to full text of article)
Background: Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) is a common and severe dose-limiting side effect in multiple myeloma (multiple myeloma) patients. Treatment with narcotics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants are of limited value in reducing symptoms, and they have the potential for significant side effects. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective in treating neuropathic pain. There has been limited reporting on the effect of acupuncture in treating BIPN.
Objective: The aim of this study was to report on the effect of acupuncture in treating BIPN.
Design and Patients: This study was a retrospective case series of five multiple myeloma patients experiencing painful BIPN.
Intervention: The patients were treated with the same acupuncture protocol on a weekly basis, adjusted to twice a week or once every 2 weeks based on response. Treatment included insertion of disposable sterile acupuncture needles, which were retained for 25 minutes, at the following bilateral ear points: shen men, point zero, and two auricular points where electro-dermal signal was detected; and bilateral body acupuncture points: LI 4, TE 5, LI 11, ST 40, and Ba Feng in the upper and lower extremities.
Main Outcome Measures: All patients were assessed for severity of painful BIPN using a 0–10 numeric pain scale, with one patient assessed using the Clinical Total Neuropathy Score, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Neurotoxicity questionnaire, and Neuropathy Pain Scale.
Results: All five patients experienced immediate pain reduction after one acupuncture treatment. Two of three patients who had more than three acupuncture treatments experienced long-lasting pain reduction and function improvement. There were no adverse events associated with acupuncture.
Conclusion: Acupuncture is a viable treatment option for multiple myeloma patients experiencing painful BIPN. However, further prospective research is needed.
Where I live, there is a community acupuncture center about 10 minutes from my home, and it only costs $20 for a one-hour treatment. Right now, I am suffering terrible PN. I recently had a stem cell transplant (SCT) and the PN is worse than ever now. If you can find an affordable acupuncturist, it is definitely worth a try. Not everyone gets relief, but, yes, acupuncture is helping me and I will continue treatments.
I go twice a week. Soon I will cut down back to once a week and see if that still provides relief. My oncologist gave me the green light when my platelets increased and recovered above 50,000. She said if it helps, go for it!
Here are some links that describe the correct points for relief.
T Bao et al, "Acupuncture Treatment for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Case Report," Pain Research and Treatment, Oct 31, 2010 (link to full text of article)
Abstract:
Peripheral neuropathy is a common and severe dose-limiting side effect of the chemotherapy agent, bortezomib, in multiple myeloma patients. Treatment with narcotics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants has limited response and potential significant side effects. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective in treating diabetic neuropathy and chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy. There has not been report on the effect of acupuncture in treating bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy specifically. Here, we report a successful case of using acupuncture to relieve bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
T Bao et al, "Improvement of Painful Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Following Acupuncture Treatment in a Case Series of Multiple Myeloma Patients," Medical Acupuncture, Sep 2012 (link to full text of article)
Background: Bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) is a common and severe dose-limiting side effect in multiple myeloma (multiple myeloma) patients. Treatment with narcotics, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants are of limited value in reducing symptoms, and they have the potential for significant side effects. Acupuncture has been reported to be effective in treating neuropathic pain. There has been limited reporting on the effect of acupuncture in treating BIPN.
Objective: The aim of this study was to report on the effect of acupuncture in treating BIPN.
Design and Patients: This study was a retrospective case series of five multiple myeloma patients experiencing painful BIPN.
Intervention: The patients were treated with the same acupuncture protocol on a weekly basis, adjusted to twice a week or once every 2 weeks based on response. Treatment included insertion of disposable sterile acupuncture needles, which were retained for 25 minutes, at the following bilateral ear points: shen men, point zero, and two auricular points where electro-dermal signal was detected; and bilateral body acupuncture points: LI 4, TE 5, LI 11, ST 40, and Ba Feng in the upper and lower extremities.
Main Outcome Measures: All patients were assessed for severity of painful BIPN using a 0–10 numeric pain scale, with one patient assessed using the Clinical Total Neuropathy Score, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Neurotoxicity questionnaire, and Neuropathy Pain Scale.
Results: All five patients experienced immediate pain reduction after one acupuncture treatment. Two of three patients who had more than three acupuncture treatments experienced long-lasting pain reduction and function improvement. There were no adverse events associated with acupuncture.
Conclusion: Acupuncture is a viable treatment option for multiple myeloma patients experiencing painful BIPN. However, further prospective research is needed.
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Melpen - Name: Melissa
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 5, 2014
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Acupuncture for peripheral neuropathy
At the cancer center where I used to work as a PT, and where I'm treated, there is an acupuncture program that is doing research into the effects of acupuncture on side effects from cancer treatment. A recent research study that they were doing was on the effect of acupuncture on the joint pain that is common with the use of aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer treatment. One of the women who I was treating was in the trial. I asked her if she could tell whether she was getting actual acupuncture or sham acupuncture and if it was helping. She was convinced that she was getting actual acupuncture because her joint pain was less and her peripheral neuropathy was almost gone. Prior to this, she had had difficulty walking because of severe neuropathy in her feet from the chemo that she had had for treatment of the cancer.
This same acupuncture group at Penn had started their research in cancer seeing if acupuncture would have an effect on chemo-induced hotflashes in males who had undergone chemotherapy to treat prostate cancer. Dr. Mao is the director of the Integrative Oncology program at Abramson Cancer Center at Penn.
So, it can't hurt to try acupuncture. Dr. Mao says that, if you don't begin to see results within 6 sessions, that it is unlikely that acupuncture is going to help the specific problem that you came to him for. But, it might help some other related problem, according to my one patient.
Let us know if you try acupuncture and how it works for you if you do.
Nancy in Phila
This same acupuncture group at Penn had started their research in cancer seeing if acupuncture would have an effect on chemo-induced hotflashes in males who had undergone chemotherapy to treat prostate cancer. Dr. Mao is the director of the Integrative Oncology program at Abramson Cancer Center at Penn.
So, it can't hurt to try acupuncture. Dr. Mao says that, if you don't begin to see results within 6 sessions, that it is unlikely that acupuncture is going to help the specific problem that you came to him for. But, it might help some other related problem, according to my one patient.
Let us know if you try acupuncture and how it works for you if you do.
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
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