Up to 20 percent of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy develop chronic pain and numbness in their feet and hands (chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy). This adverse side effect from chemo treatment affects the sensory, sensorimotor, and autonomic nervous systems, drastically impairing function and quality of life. As a result, doctors typically continue chemo treatment until these symptoms appear and then either reduce the dose or end treatment. But the damage by then is done, and pain in the extremities remains well after the termination of treatment.
Research confirms that while chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms can resolve independently, in most patients, the condition remains. Current treatment involves a combination of pain management and antidepressant medications. In traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the pathogenesis of neuropathy is related to the inability to direct Qi and Blood to the extremities. It is associated with Qi, Blood, Yang, and Kidney deficiencies. At Raleigh, Acupuncture has developed a highly effective treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. This case, published by another practitioner, uses a different approach, also with impressive results.
Chemotherapy and Cancer Treatment
Treatment of cancer often involves chemotherapy as part of the regimen. However, neurotoxicity is one of the dose-limiting side effects that can result in a reduction, or even termination, of chemotherapy. The incidence of chemotherapy-induced toxicity is estimated to be as high as 60%. Peripheral neuropathy occurs in 10% to 20% of cancer patients. The condition is particularly more common in patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy agents, including platinum compounds, vinca alkaloids, taxanes, and suramin.
Symptoms of neurotoxicity can appear at any time during a course of chemotherapy. Their severity depends on the type and the cumulative dose of chemotherapy. Pre-existing conditions, such as diabetic or alcoholic neuropathy and primary neurological disorders, can also affect the pattern and severity of symptoms.
Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Sensory peripheral neuropathy is the most common presenting symptom, followed by autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Patients typically describe pain in the extremities with numbness, sensitivity, impaired joint position sense, ataxia, pain, and muscle weakness. Unfortunately, most cases never fully resolve, leading to ongoing symptoms and adverse effects on their quality of life.
Current chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy treatments aim to relieve numbness and pain symptoms. Tricyclic antidepressants and membrane-stabilizing drugs have severe side effects, including fatigue, dizziness when rising from a sitting position, dry mouth, and heart problems. In addition, symptoms reappear after the patient stops taking the medications.
New Treatments for Neuropathy
New pharmaceutical approaches are still experimental, including neurotrophic growth factors, insulin-like growth factors, glutamate, and alpha-lipoic acid. Researchers recently investigated acupuncture as a treatment option for peripheral neuropathy in HIV patients. After five weeks of acupuncture, there was a significant reduction in scores for pain (aching and burning), pins and needles, and numbness in the extremities.
In patients with diabetic neuropathy, acupuncture has also demonstrated significant improvement in their symptoms. To date, there is little research on the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. This report describes the results for five patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy treated with a standardized acupuncture protocol.
Peripheral Neuropathy Case Histories
Five patients with greater than WHO (World Health Organization) grade II chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms were referred for acupuncture treatment.
Ages ranged from 60 to 71 years. All patients had advanced gynecological cancers requiring chemotherapy. The duration of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms before acupuncture treatment ranged from 6-38 months (median 18 months). Three patients had Grade II (severe paraesthesia and mild weakness) and two patients had Grade III (intolerable paraesthesia and marked motor loss) symptoms. Pain, numbness, and tingling of fingers and toes were the chief symptoms in all patients.
Investigators noted an imbalance in gait in three of the five patients. The average pain score was 7.8 out of 10. All patients managed their pain with narcotic analgesics, while two patients also took tricyclic antidepressants. One patient had a history of diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
Acupuncture Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy
Researchers assessed the patients based on TCM diagnostic methods, using a TCM questionnaire to assess symptoms, as well as examining the tongue and pulse. The predominant pattern imbalances in all five patients included Kidney and Qi deficiency.
Both authors were trained and certified in medical acupuncture and had seven years of experience. They used sterile, disposable acupuncture needles, without electrical stimulation. Acupoint selection included CV6, ST36, and LI11. They inserted the needles to a depth of 5mm without eliciting a de qi sensation. However, they performed clockwise twirling of the needles for about 30 seconds with each needle insertion.
In addition, they needled Ba Feng points on the feet, and Ba Xie points on the hands without twirling needles. For severe numbness and dysfunction of fingers or toes, they needled the jing points (tips of affected fingers or toes) with a sedation technique. They retained all needles for 30 to 45 minutes after insertion and repeated the treatment once a week for six weeks. After a four-week rest, they performed another six treatments.
Acupuncture Treatment Results
At the end of the acupuncture therapy, all five patients reported reduced pain, numbness, and tingling. The average pain score decreased to 3 out of 10. One patient who had experienced six months of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy reported reduced symptoms after the first treatment. Patients with severe numbness in their fingers and toes, who were treated by needling the jing points, showed remarkable improvement in sensation and movement after the first treatment.
All patients reduced their pain medications, and all three patients who complained of imbalance reported that their gait significantly improved. There were no adverse side effects. At the six-month follow-up, symptom control persisted in four of the five patients. The one patient with a history of diabetes and multiple sclerosis reported improvement of symptoms for only one month.
Take-Aways From Case Report
The practitioners in this case report had fairly good success relieving their patients’ symptoms. Our treatment protocol at Raleigh Acupuncture is even more effective, as it is based on a combination of cutting-edge research and 20 years of clinical experience treating peripheral neuropathy.
Next Steps
Try acupuncture if you are struggling with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. We have great success relieving, and often resolving, this debilitating condition. Treatments are safe, natural, and provide long-lasting results.
BOOK NOW to schedule an appointment online.
Additional Resources
Neuropathy Acupuncture Research Study.
Neuropathy Acupuncture Case Study.
Nerve Pain Acupuncture Solution.
Learn More About Our Nerve Pain Treatment (Video)
Explore all of the conditions we treat.
Reference
Wong, Raimond & Sagar, Stephen. (2006). Acupuncture Treatment for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy – a Case Series. Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. 24. 87-91. 10.1136/aim.24.2.87.
Focus Keyphrase: Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Photo by PICHA Stock: https://www.pexels.com/photo/group-of-women-sitting-on-couch-3869651/
What our Clients are Saying
For the past 13 years I suffered from peripheral neuropathy in my calf, ankle and foot. I tried numerous medications, therapy with lights, neuromuscular massages and back decompression. I felt like I had stones under the ball of my foot. After the first couple of sessions with Dr. Mark, feelings returned to my calf, ankle and the “stone like feeling” under the ball of my foot began subsiding. Thanks to Dr. Mark, I am able now to walk without pain and discomfort. The extraordinary care and attentiveness I am receiving from Raleigh Acupuncture in treating my neuropathy is remarkable and I recommend them without reserve!
I’m a semi-professional weight lifter. I never had a problem until my hip went out doing squats. The pain was tremendous, like a sharp nerve pain down the back of my leg into the calf. It had sidelined me for two months while I tried unsuccessfully to work out the pain. Then a buddy suggested acupuncture. He had a similar hip pain and got relief at Raleigh Acupuncture. I went there and got treated. They told me to stop stretching until the injury was healed. I followed their instructions and got half a dozen treatments. The pain started easing after the first few treatments. I continued for another 6 treatments and was totally cured. I was able to get back to lifting with no residual effects of the injury. I’ve recommended this practice to a number of friends since that time and they all have had good experiences.
I have neuropathy that is a burning, tingling pain down my legs and into my feet. The doctor said there was nothing I could do besides pain medicine, since I am diabetic. The meds didn’t help much and made me feel groggy all the time. I tried acupuncture, after seeing a segment on Dr. Oz. I found Raleigh Acupuncture online and liked their website. They had a lot of useful information. The treatments were interesting. They used electric acupuncture on my legs and feet that felt like a tingling massage. They said it
would take a few treatments to start kicking in, and they were right. The burning pain slowly started to recede, and the tingling went away. I was truly amazed to feel such a difference in my legs and feet. I know so many people with neuropathy, and they are afraid to try acupuncture. I think they are crazy not to try it. What a difference not to be in constant pain anymore. I don’t need medication for my legs.
I woke up one morning and started getting these excruciatingly painful shooting electric pains on the left side of my face. My wife took me to the emergency room and they said I had trigeminal neuralgia. They gave me some pain medicine, but a nurse there suggested I try acupuncture. She had this pain once and it was cured by acupuncture. She gave me the name of Raleigh Acupuncture. When I explained the situation they took me in the same day. After just one treatment I started feeling better. They saw me every day for six days, at which point the pain was completely gone. What a life saver. I strongly recommend getting acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia.