Acupuncture improves quality of life for breast cancer patients using aromatase inhibitors

Posted By News On July 30, 2014 - 6:00am

PHILADELPHIA – Use of electroacupuncture (EA) – a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles – produces significant improvements in fatigue, anxiety and depression in as little as eight weeks for early stage breast cancer patients experiencing joint pain related to the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) to treat breast cancer. The results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial examining the intervention led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are published online this week in the journal Cancer. The study is the first demonstration of EA's efficacy for both joint pain relief, as well as these other common symptoms.

The results build upon earlier findings reported in November 2013, showing that EA can decrease the joint pain reported by roughly 50 percent of breast cancer patients taking AIs – the most-commonly prescribed medications to prevent disease recurrence among post-menopausal women with early-stage, hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Despite their efficacy, the joint pain associated with the use of AIs often leads to fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances for these patients, which researchers suggest may cause premature discontinuation of the drug. Previous studies have shown that nearly half of women taking AIs do not complete their recommended course of treatment, and that those who stop taking the drugs or don't take them as prescribed have a higher chance of dying of both breast cancer and other causes.

"Since many patients experience pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression simultaneously, our results provide an opportunity to offer patients one treatment that may target multiple symptoms," said lead author Jun Mao, MD MSCE, associate professor of Family Medicine and Community Health in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, who directs the Integrative Oncology program in the Abramson Cancer Center. "We see patients every day who are looking for ways to combat some of the side effects of their treatment. What is particularly significant about these new results is that we can now offer more evidence-based treatment and management solutions for these women."

In the eight-week trial, researchers evaluated the short-term effects and safety of EA for AI-related joint pain and other side effects, compared with sham acupuncture (SA – a non-electric, placebo acupuncture where the needles are not actually inserted into the skin), and usual care. The study participants, who were all receiving AI therapy and experiencing joint pain, were randomly assigned to receive EA, SA or usual care. Patient-reported experiences of fatigue and psychological distress, were measured prior to the study, and periodically throughout the duration, with additional follow-up four weeks after treatment.

• Fatigue: Compared with usual care, patients receiving EA had a greater reduction in the fatigue score at week eight and the effect was maintained at week 12. On average, patients reported a 2.0 point reduction in fatigue on the Brief Fatigue Inventory, an instrument designed to assess fatigue severity on a numerical scale ranging from 0-10.
• Anxiety: By week 12, patients receiving EA reported a significant improvement in their anxiety score, whereas patients receiving SA did not. On average, patients in the EA group reported a 2.2 point reduction in anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) compared to the usual care group.
• Depression: Patients in both EA and SA groups reported a significant improvement in HADS-Depression scores (2.4 points and 2.0 points, respectively) compared with the usual care group by week eight. The effects of both EA and SA on depression were maintained at week 12.

"Our study provides a novel understanding of how fatigue, sleep and psychological distress relate to pain in patients with AI-related joint pain. More importantly, we found that acupuncture helped reduce these symptoms and the effects persisted for at least four weeks following treatment," said Mao. "There is a small but growing body of literature showing that acupuncture is effective for the management of pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression. However, studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to provide more in-depth knowledge about how these treatments, combined with usual care, are improving quality of life for our patients."

 

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Katy Perry Feasts on Acupuncture-Treated Sushi

There is such a thing as acupuncture-treated sushi and Katy Perry is proud to say she’s tried it. It's an interesting way to spice up your average sushi meal.

Katy Perry took to Twitter on last Monday to reveal that she feasted on "acupuncture-treated fish" while dining with couple Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka at Park Restaurant in Montreal, Canada.

Chef Antonio Park, who prepared the tasty meal for the trio, shared a photo with his celebrity guests on Instagram, clearly elated by the A-list company.

"What a day!!!! I would like to thank my friend @instagranph & @davidburtka for coming together with @katyperry! It was an honour and pleasure to cook for you guys! #restaurantpark #parkrestaurant #fortheloveofthegame #famous #hollywood," the sushi master captioned the cute pic.

Perry, who was dressed in a fitted silk gown with a colorful Las Vegas-inspired pattern, was obviously impressed with the dinner and didn't hesitate to brag about her mouth-watering meal on social media.

"Had the best sushi/wagyu from @ChefAntonioPark. The wagyu was flown in this morning from JPN & the fish had previously had acupuncture #fancy," she wrote before adding, "Also foodie kings @ActuallyNPH & @Davidburtka brought me here so durh."

While acupuncture-treated fish may seem like an odd delicacy, the practice is actually more common than you may think, as it allows the freshest fish to be transported directly from Japan.

The technique is further detailed on the restaurant's website, which explains how  "fishermen insert needles so that the trauma of death is avoided, allowing the cut to remain exceptionally tender."

 And apparently, Perry felt inspired by the acupuncture-treated fish, as she opted to test out the practice, which involves the insertion of extremely thin needles throughout one's skin to target specific points on the body.

"Getting ready for you Montreal!" the 29-year-old pop star captioned her latest Instagram pic, in which she's lying face down, mid-treatment.

Acupuncture Lowers Blood Pressure

By HealthCMi, www.healthcmi.com | July 8, 2014

New research finds acupuncture effective for reducing high blood pressure and preventing damage to the kidneys. Acupoint LI11 LocationIn a controlled laboratory experiment, researchers applied two acupuncture points to laboratory rats with hypertension and renal interstitial fibrosis, a kidney disease characterized by destruction of the renal tubules and capillaries. Acupuncture “significantly decreased” blood pressure and decreased “damage of kidney morphology.”

 Three groups were compared. Group 1 received acupuncture. Group 2 was a control group and group 3 received pharmaceutical medication. The drug group received perindopril, an ACE inhibitor used for the treatment of high blood pressure and other forms of heart disease. The acupuncture group received electroacupuncture at LI11 (Quchi) and ST36 (Zusanli) for a period of 20 minutes, once per day. Blood pressure, kidney morphology, optical densities of kidney collagen with immunohistochemistry, and expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method changes were measured.

The acupuncture group had similar results as the medication group in that TGF-beta1 mRNA expression was decreased. The acupuncture group showed significantly lower blood pressure and less pathological structural changes to the kidneys. The pathological depositional area of collagen in the acupuncture group also showed clinical benefits with a significant reduction of both type I and type III collagen. The researchers concluded that acupuncture at LI11 and ST36 “probably intervenes the process of RIF (renal interstitial fibrosis) by reducing synthesis of kidney type I, III collagen and restraining expression of TGF-beta1.”

This new research supports research released last month. Investigators measured the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of hypertension in a human clinical case study. Two acupuncture points were identical across both studies: ST36, LI11. Additionally, the human study included LI4, ST9, CV6, CV6 and SP6. The patient showed significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Another recent investigation conducted jointly at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Irvine uncovered how acupuncture lowers blood pressure. The investigators discovered that acupuncture reduces hypertension by stimulating brain neurons to decrease neural activity in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (rVLM) to stimulate a decrease in SNS activity thereby reducing blood pressure.

The UC (University of California) researchers “have shown that electroacupuncture stimulation activates neurons in the arcuate nucleus, ventrolateral gray, and nucleus raphe to inhibit the neural activity in the rVLM in a model of visceral reflex stimulation-induced hypertension.” The UC researchers concluded that acupuncture reduces hypertension through downregulation of excess sympathetic nerve activity.

Three acupuncture groups were compared. Group 1 received electroacupuncture at P5, P6, LI10 and LI11. Group 2 received LI4, LU7, ST36 and ST37 electroacupuncture stimulation. Both groups showed decreases in hypertension with group 1 showing the greatest reduction in blood pressure. Group 3 received electroacupuncture at LI6, LI7, K1, UB67. This group did not have the clinical benefits as in groups 1 and 2. As a result, the researchers conclude that electroacupuncture is effective in the reduction of hypertension and the effects are point specific.

Tony Burris, L.Ac., successfully treats high blood pressure using acupuncture techniques. Give him a call today!

VA Hospital Tries Alternatives To Pain Medications

The Veterans Hospital in White River Junction is trying out new programs designed to relieve pain without strong medications. VA doctors are now prescribing acupuncture, yoga and aquatic therapy as alternatives. 

 Acupuncture has not yet been fully integrated into the hospital’s menu of treatment options, but for about six months now, Dr. Freda Dreher has been inserting sterile needles not much thicker than a human hair into a few people looking for pain relief.

“So I will start with a needle right at the shoulder that’s been painful,” she said to Carol Hitchcock, Executive Assistant to the hospital Director.
Hitchcock is a veteran who has served in Afghanistan, but her excruciating shoulder injury resulted from a motorcycle accident many years ago.

“It just hurt so bad that I couldn’t do anything, and I tend to be pretty tolerant, but I couldn’t tolerate it any more,” Hitchcock recalled.

But she didn’t want to take powerful, potentially addicting pain killers either, especially since there is so much concern about opioids. So about once a month - it used to be once a week - she comes into this examining room and sits or lies down on a table to get non-medicinal relief.

After Dr. Dreher inserted about a half dozen micro-thin needles into her arm, the patient looked and sounded more relaxed.

“I sleep, which I hadn’t done for a number of years,” Hitchcock said. “I can actually sleep now because of this. The pain is not there. I guess it’s cyclical, right? So I feel better, so I am healthier, so I sleep better and my weight is under control now, so everything just aligns."
Sometimes, Hitchcock said, the pain disappears instantly. Other times, as on this day, it slowly wanes through the day.

“So right this second, I don’t feel any different, but the whole health approach is amazing. Changed my life,” Hitchcock said.

The VA is also trying to change lives and reduce opioid dependence with other techniques. Therapists say aquatic physical therapy is bringing results.

So is yoga.

In a large conference room, three Vietnam-era veterans sat cross-legged on rubber mats as instructor Brianna Renner—a former Marine--lead them through assorted poses.

“So welcome everybody, we’ll start by finding a comfortable seated position. Any there any areas you guys want to work on today?” Renner asked them.

“Body and mind,” came a voice from the back.

“Body and mind - that narrows it down,” Renner chuckled.

Collectively, these men have been suffering from back injuries and surgeries, depression, and arthritis. Some are taking prescribed pain pills but they would like to take fewer - or none.
Those are laudable goals, says Julie Franklin, an anesthesiologist who practices pain management at the VA Hospital.

 

A 2012 article in the Journal of American Medicine concludes that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with mental health diagnoses, including PTSD, were especially likely to receive opioids for pain, even though that population is also at the highest risk for abusing those drugs.

“Patients who are addicted or who have problematic opioid use need to be helped to reduce or come off medication that actually may be providing more harm than good for that patient,” Franklin said.
A 2012 article in the Journal of American Medicine concludes that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with mental health diagnoses, including PTSD, were especially likely to receive opioids for pain, even though that population is also at the highest risk for abusing those drugs.

At the VA Hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock medical residents are observing the alternative therapies for possible use with civilians. They say no one sees acupuncture or yoga as overnight solutions, but they would like to see more patients give them a try.

Those who do will be tracked, so that the Hospital can determine whether alternative methods do a similar job as prescription medicines.

Read more on Eagle Acupuncture's website!

Acupuncture Helping Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

The movie "The Hurt Locker," which won the Best Picture Oscar in 2008, helped portray what our veterans are being exposed to during wartime. It's easy to see, through the lens of a camera, why we see traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurring at such high rates. TBI is defined as a non-degenerative, non-congenital insult to the brain from an external mechanical force, leading to possible concussion, skull fractures, internal hemorrhage, or other internal injuries. This may result in permanent or temporary impairment of cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functions, with an associated diminished or altered state of consciousness.

Tony Burris, L.Ac., of  Eagle Acupuncture, treats veterans for multiple conditions

Veterans are at high-risk for TBI, and blast-related concussions because of the frequent exposure to improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers, land mines, mortar rounds, and rocket-propelled grenades. These types of injuries account for upwards of 65 percent of combat injuries, and of these, 60 percent of theses vets have symptoms of TBI. Symptoms can be mild to severe. Mild symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and fatigue, lack of concentration, irritability, sleep problems, balance issues, and ringing in the ears. More severe symptoms include being easily confused, forgetful, and troubled with constant and intense headaches. Difficulty with speech and difficulty with decision making are also common symptoms that require ongoing rehabilitation. Many of these symptoms are debilitating.

Too often, these returning veterans are unemployable, and unable to attend school for re-training. This presents a tough challenge for a young veteran who has his or her whole life ahead of them upon returning. Medical treatment often consists of rehabilitation, mental health counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and group therapy. Patients can be on a long list of medications to treat the various symptoms. Common medications are antidepressant, sleep aides, migraine medications, anti-seizure medications, and narcotics.

At the George E. Whalen Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in Salt Lake City, Utah, acupuncture is being used to provide some relief to these patients. Acupuncture has become one component of the Integrative Medicine program being offered, under the umbrella of Holistic Medicine. Patients are seen on an outpatient basis, where they are being treated for a variety of health issues, including, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. With the use of even a few basic points, patients are reporting a decrease in the intensity of their headaches, better sleep, and an ability to cope on a daily basis.

One patient ("Jim") came to the acupuncture clinic for treatment of severe headaches and sleeplessness. Jim, a 27-year-old Iraq war vet, got caught in crossfire in 2003. A bullet entered his helmet, but did not penetrate his skull. The blast resulted in a blood clot located in the parietal area of his brain. For the first year, Jim's words were slurred and his concentration and short-term memory adversely affected. He reports developing severe, debilitating headaches, which he describes "helmet-like." He's haunted by nightmares. This combination causes him to lose a lot of time at work, which results in some depression and worry over financial issues. After staff worked with Jim over several weeks, he began to respond, reporting a decrease in his headaches, better sleep, relaxation, and an ability to cope better with his chronic pain. He was also taught to use several of the points while at home, and finds this helpful in diminishing his headaches before they get too severe.

Acupuncture will not be able to provide a cure for Veterans with TBI, but it will give them some relief when used in conjunction with other medical treatments.

SOURCE: George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs, Salt Lake City, UT