CANCER THERAPY

Root Healing Wellness is proud to be affiliated with
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an effective form of health care that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is the insertion of fine, sterile needles at specific acupuncture points on the body. It is sometimes easier to understand how it works if it is described with familiar medical terms.

 

What happens is that muscle spasms are released and connective tissue is relaxed. It strengthens the immune system, increases nerve conduction, increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and releases endorphins for pain. The body is brought back into homeostasis – balance, optimizing our body’s natural resources. On an energetic level, it helps move and consolidate qi (pronounced chee) which is the body’s natural life force.

What is the history of the discovery and use of acupuncture as a complementary and alternative therapy for cancer?

The oldest known medical book in China (second century BC) describes the use of needles to treat medical problems. The use of acupuncture spread to other Asian countries and to other regions of the world, including to Europe by the 1700s. In the United States, acupuncture has been used for about 200 years.

Research on acupuncture began in the United States in 1976. Twenty years later, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the acupuncture needle as a medical device. Its main use is to control symptoms associated with cancer, including the following:

Acupuncture is usually used as an addition to conventional (standard) therapy for cancer patients.

Have any clinical trials (research studies with people)
of acupuncture been conducted?

In 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began evaluating the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture as a complementary and alternative therapy.

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on the immune system

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on pain

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on muscle and joint pain from aromatase inhibitors

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on nausea and vomiting caused by cancer therapies

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on hot flashes in patients treated for cancer

Study of the effect of acupuncture on fatigue in cancer patients

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on xerostomia (dry mouth) in cancer patients

Studies of the effect of acupuncture on other symptoms of cancer and side effects of cancer treatment

Is acupuncture approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as a cancer therapy in the United States?

The FDA approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only.

More than 40 states and the District of Columbia have laws regulating acupuncture practice. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (www.nccaom.org) certifies practitioners of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Most states require this certification