Chinese acupuncture is a method of inserting needles into specific acupuncture points on the body to stimulate the nervous system and promote blood circulation. Acupuncture can also be used to treat various diseases with significant effects. Today, I will introduce how acupuncture can be used to treat neurotoxicity.
Acupuncture to control neurotoxic reactions caused by paclitaxel
The clinical side effects of paclitaxel are extensive, including neurotoxicity, bone marrow suppression, allergic reactions, and gastrointestinal reactions. The occurrence of these side effects is mainly related to the dosage, administration scheme, and patient's physical condition. The incidence of peripheral neuropathy caused by paclitaxel is 30.1%, mainly manifested as sensory nerve disorders, such as numbness and abnormal sensations in a glove and stocking distribution. Muscle pain and joint pain after paclitaxel chemotherapy are also significant, with an incidence of 61.3%, and 10% of cases experiencing severe pain. Therefore, it is necessary to take necessary preventive and monitoring measures to prevent the occurrence of its side effects.
In order to explore the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of neurotoxic reactions caused by paclitaxel chemotherapy, researchers selected 36 inpatients and outpatients with malignant tumors, including 9 cases of breast cancer, 13 cases of lung cancer, 8 cases of esophageal cancer, 1 case of testicular cancer, and 5 cases of ovarian cancer. Neurotoxic reactions included peripheral neuropathy, constipation, and muscle pain. The adverse events of anticancer drugs were evaluated according to the WHO recommended grading system (Grade 0: none, Grade I: mild, Grade II: moderate, Grade III: severe, Grade IV: life-threatening).
Acupuncture points used include bilateral Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, Yanglingquan, Hegu, and Quchi. The patient was in a supine position during acupuncture. The local skin was disinfected with 75% alcohol. A 2-inch stainless steel needle of size 28-30 was quickly inserted. Once the patient felt soreness, numbness, distension, sinking, or radiating sensation in the acupoint area, the needle sensation was obtained. The technique of medium-strength stimulation with even reinforcement and reduction was used, and the needle was retained for 30 minutes after obtaining the qi. One treatment was performed per day, and 7-15 days constituted one course of treatment.
The results of acupuncture treatment showed that after 5-15 days of treatment, adverse events related to anticancer drugs improved to varying degrees. Symptoms disappeared in patients with Grade I and II adverse events, and only 4 patients with Grade III and IV adverse events recovered to Grade I, with the rest of the patients' symptoms disappearing. The cure rate was 89%, and the effective rate was 100%.
According to the researchers, acupuncture treatment has the advantages of quick effectiveness, convenient operation, and low cost. Chemotherapy patients often experience significant gastrointestinal reactions and have difficulty taking medications. Acupuncture treatment is more easily accepted by patients. Acupuncture has positive effects in suppressing cancer-related pain, inhibiting tumor growth, improving bone marrow suppression, and enhancing immune function, making it widely applicable.
How acupuncture can prevent drug toxicity reactions
Acupuncture can have both therapeutic effects and adverse reactions on the body. Drug toxicity reactions are severe adverse reactions and the main cause of drug-induced diseases. They can cause significant harm to the central nervous system, hematopoietic system, and cardiovascular system, leading to liver and kidney damage. With the emergence of a large number of chemically synthesized drugs, the prevention and reduction of drug toxicity reactions have become important issues.
The use of acupuncture to prevent drug toxicity reactions was first seen in China in the 1950s. At that time, it mainly targeted the toxic reactions caused by the use of potassium antimony tartrate in the treatment of schistosomiasis, and achieved good results. In recent years, acupuncture practitioners on the mainland have begun to use traditional acupuncture techniques to prevent the toxic reactions of chemotherapy drugs, showing promising results.
Foreign scholars have also conducted animal experiments to observe the preventive effects of acupuncture on drug-induced liver damage. The experiment was conducted on 100 mice, with the acupuncture group receiving acupuncture every two days and the control group not receiving acupuncture. On the 18th day, an equal amount of carbon tetrachloride was injected. The mortality rate in the acupuncture group was 83.6%, while the control group had a 100% mortality rate, indicating that acupuncture does have a preventive effect.
Methods
Body acupuncture (Part 1)
Acupoints
Commonly used acupoints: Dazhui, Hegu, Zusanli, Zhongwan, Neiguan, and Xingjian.
