Acupuncture and Mesothelioma

Date Posted: January 11, 2012

Anyone suffering with mesothelioma knows how painful the condition can be. The mental and physical stress of the disease has led many to search for alternative mesothelioma treatment options. One such option is the ancient Chinese therapy called acupuncture. Many patients who have incorporated acupuncture into their scheme of more traditional mesothelioma therapy treatments have shared that it helped them manage the disease.

In addition to this anecdotal evidence, there have also been a number studies supporting the idea that acupuncture can offer some relief among the alternative mesothelioma treatment options available. Some studies have shown that when acupuncture was used as a means of pain management for the discomfort the disease so often causes, along with conventional mesothelioma treatments, some patients were able to reduce or eliminate their reliance on pain relief medication.

Additional studies have also shown that acupuncture has been one of the effective mesothelioma therapy treatments to reduce the toll of chemotherapy side effects. Participants in these studies reported feeling less fatigued and nauseous after treatment sessions. The studies also provided some evidence that when acupuncture is part of one’s overall mesothelioma therapy treatments, it can contribute to a stronger immune system.

Acupuncture itself is a therapy that inserts fine, small needles into strategic point s along one’s body where the Chinese believe energy flows. According to the principles of acupuncture, good health is maintained when the body’s energy (or “chi”) can flow freely. When there is disease, that energy flow is blocked. The goal of inserting the needles at the right points is to unblock that flow of energy. While traditional Western science has not been able to identify how or why acupuncture works, studies like the ones mentioned above have shown some co-existence of the alternative treatment and improved health.

For mesothelioma patients, the acupuncturist may well insert the needles along the lung meridian (“meridian” is another term for an energy channel in this context). Because the needles are so tiny and only get inserted into the top layer of skin, most people don’t experience pain during a treatment session. However, as every patient has a unique combination of physical and mental needs, the practitioner will have a detailed discussion with the patient before designing a personalized treatment plan.

Once the needles are inserted, the patient is then usually left to relax in the treatment room. Whether a result of the needles or just the fact of having an extended period of quiet time, many suffers of mesothelioma who have acupuncture have also found it successful in relieving some of their mental stress. The body of anecdotal and formal reports as to its benefits may result in acupuncture becoming one of the more popular alternative mesothelioma treatment options that can be used to augment traditional mesothelioma treatments.