Acupuncture May Help with Hot Flashes After Breast Cancer Treatment
In a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, 120 breast cancer patients participated in a study comparing different treatments including acupuncture for hot flashes and pain. The research protocol included: acupuncture with electrical stimulation, sham acupuncture, and gabapentin.
The research participants were divided into four groups and received the different treatments for 8 weeks.
The study found that the hot flashes were least in the group that received the electroacupuncture, follow by the group that received the Sham electroacupuncture. After 16 weeks the researchers also found that the effects of acupuncture lasted the longest in comparison to those that were given the gabapentin and placebo therapies. Finally, the participants who experienced the worst hot flashes were the group who stopped gabapentin therapy.
Acupuncture works by elevating endorphins. These are body endogenous morphine-like hormones that reduce pain naturally without side effects.
So if you or a loved one is suffering from hot flashes or pain, please consider acupuncture therapy if any of our acupuncture practices in Boca Raton, Fl, Davie, Fl, or Pompano Beach, Fl. You can also visit our website at: