In the largest study on acupuncture and cancer patients to date, researchers found that two types of acupuncture significantly reduced survivors’ chronic pain. This 3-year clinical trial looked at electroacupuncture and auricular acupuncture compared to “traditional care” which included pain medications including opioids and over-the-counter drugs. With the opioid crisis gaining widespread attention in recent years, it’s easy to understand why patients want an alternative solution to the various side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. In addition, this study was incredibly diverse, both in population demographic and in cancer type.

The Set Up

Electroacupuncture is a variation on traditional acupuncture which uses very small needles and a low-frequency electric current to simulate the acupuncture points. Auricular acupuncture, sometimes called “ear seeds” uses little studs to stimulate points on the ear. In this study, patients were split into three groups with one receiving weekly electroacupuncture, one receiving weekly auricular acupuncture and one group receiving traditional care for twelve weeks. After the twelve weeks of treatment, researchers followed up with patients to determine if treatment was effective, and after another twelve weeks to see if the effects lasted.

Results

Compared to usual care or no care, both types of acupuncture significantly reduced chronic pain, but electroacupuncture was much more effective than auricular. Electroacupuncture was well tolerated, while 11% of the ear acupuncture patients discontinued treatment due to side-effects like ear pain. Pain relief from acupuncture lasted for months after the 12-week treatment schedule, requiring no management on the part of the patient, versus traditional treatments which requires pain medications to be taken frequently and which lose effectiveness more quickly.

The Future of Acupuncture for Pain Relief

In 2020 Medicare started covering acupuncture for lower back pain, but coverage for pain in cancer survivors is spotty at best. Acupuncture is effective as a treatment on it’s own, or can be used in conjunction with pain medications to reduce the dosage of medication needed. This is especially helpful for cancer survivors who may have heart, kidney or liver conditions, limiting the amount of pain relieving drugs they can take. Hopefully continued research and evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness will result in better insurance coverage for this beneficial therapy.