Acupuncture relieves nausea to a great extent in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Acupuncture relieves nausea to a great extent in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. During a study, 215 out of 277 patients undergoing radiotherapy of the abdomen or pelvic region for cancer were randomly assigned traditional or simulated acupuncture.
Out of the 215 patients, 109 received traditional acupuncture treatment with needles inserted into their skin to activate certain areas while 106 patients received simulated acupuncture treatment involving blunt telescopic placebo needles simply pressed against the skin.
The results showed that, irrespective of whether it was simulated or authentic acupuncture, the subjects reported reduction in nausea as compared to patients who received only standard care.
Further, the attitude of patients towards the form of treatment and their expectations of it was crucial for the positive effect.
Source-Medindia