Acupuncture Relieves Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathic Pain

A recent study performed at the Hamburg school of medicine in Germany shows that Acupuncture has been proven through Randomized clinical control study to increase nerve conduction in patients with Chemo-Induced Neuropathic Pain (CINP).  Neuropathic pain is described as when the nerve fibers themselves may be damaged, injured or idiopathic in origin. These damaged nerve fibers then send incorrect or wrong signals to other pain centers in the body. Nerve injury includes a change in nerve function not only at the site of injury but in areas around the injury as well.
The study performed by the British Medical Journal and Acupuncture in Medicine found “an improvement in the nerve conduction study after treatment in five of the six patients treated with acupuncture. In the control group, one patient showed improvement, one showed impairment, and three showed no difference in the nerve conduction study. ‘The data suggest that acupuncture has a positive effect on CIPN as measured by objective parameters nerve conduction study” (Lowry 2011). As acupuncture moves further into the medical arena it is becoming clearer how effective and how beneficial it is in many disciplines and specialties in medicine.
People suffering from CINP and other nerve related injuries or diseases can now find clinically proven treatments for their pain through acupuncture. This is a great option as it does not have the negative side effects of many drugs or the potential for addiction or abuse. Many people suffering from nerve related pain also find that they become tolerant to their medication and that they no longer provide relief from their pain any longer. Lowry finalizes the research by stating that "this pilot study shows encouraging results for the application of acupuncture in CIPN.”
One of the researchers in the study Dr. Schroeder reports that "It has been shown that acupuncture may increase the blood flow in the limbs," he said, explaining how acupuncture might work in this condition. "Increased blood flow to the vasa nervorum and dependent capillary beds supplying the neurons may contribute to nerve repair with measurable improvement of axons or myelin sheaths" (Lowry 2011). This potential mechanism of action also explains how acupuncture could help other injuries and problem areas in the human body.  The increase in blood flow will help to allow the body’s own healing mechanisms to reach the injured area more quickly. Like many things in medicine we do not completely know how acupuncture benefits the body, what we do know for fact and through proven medical and clinical studies is that it does work. You can read the article and get more information at this website http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/news/pb/25131
If you know of any of the one in five Americans that has some type of cancer and is experiencing CINP or anyone who is having nerve pain make sure you make them aware of the acupuncture option in their care, it may just be the best thing that they have tried for their pain.