Acupuncture is a practice that originated in China two to three thousand years ago and has become widely available and accepted in Western medicine. It involves the stimulation of designated points on the body with fine needles to regulate energy pathways and circulation. Acupuncture has been consistently shown to help reduce cancer-related pain and recent studies show that acupuncture may have many benefits for various kinds of cancer surgery including reducing pain after surgery, speeding up recovery after surgery, and reducing post-surgical complications or side effects.
This article draws on our acupuncture therapy review ›
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. The intention of this article is to provide a summary of recent medical research to help patients be informed about the effectiveness of integrative cancer care treatments. Any changes to your care should be made with your oncology team.
Acupuncture supports recovery after colorectal or gastrointestinal cancer surgery
There are many studies showing beneficial effects of acupuncture for recovery after colorectal or gastric cancer surgery. Acupuncture may help speed up recovery after surgery and may even help shorten length of hospital stay.1Zhu M, Chen L, et al. 2026. A systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture versus sham/placebo acupuncture for postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction in cancer patients: Evidence from randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 105(4), e47305; Wu Y, Li X, et al. 2026. Influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction among patients with gastrointestinal cancer: A network meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 97, 103331; Qi L, Shi H, et al. 2023. The effect of acupuncture on recovery after colorectal cancer resection: A systematic review meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Medicine, 102(35), e34678; Gu XY, Gao ZQ, et al. 2020 [Influence of warming needling technique on gastrointestinal reaction after hyperthermic intrape-ritoneal chemotherapy in patients with postoperation of colon cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 45(4):315-319. Acupuncture may reduce time to first bowel movement, and improve overall bowel function, at least temporarily after surgery.2Zheng L, Zhang X, et al. 2025. Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for the restoration of postoperative intestinal motility of patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Colorectal Disease, 40(1), 176; Yu C, Mao X, & Zhou C. 2024. Influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on gastrointestinal function and adverse events in gastric cancer patients after surgery and chemotherapy: a meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(8), 524; Gu XY, Gao ZQ, et al. 2020 [Influence of warming needling technique on gastrointestinal reaction after hyperthermic intrape-ritoneal chemotherapy in patients with postoperation of colon cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 45(4):315-319 Acupuncture may also help reduce many side effects after colorectal or gastric surgery including nausea and vomiting, abdominal distention, and diarrhea.3Wu Y, Li X, et al. 2026. Influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction among patients with gastrointestinal cancer: A network meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 97, 103331; Yu C, Mao X, & Zhou C. 2024. Influence of acupuncture and moxibustion on gastrointestinal function and adverse events in gastric cancer patients after surgery and chemotherapy: a meta-analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(8), 524; Gu XY, Gao ZQ, et al. 2020 [Influence of warming needling technique on gastrointestinal reaction after hyperthermic intrape-ritoneal chemotherapy in patients with postoperation of colon cancer] [Article in Chinese]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 45(4):315-319.
Acupuncture reduces recovery time and complications after surgery for gynecological and prostate cancer
Several studies show that acupuncture may significantly shorten recovery time after surgery for both gynecological cancer and prostate cancer.4Ben-Arye E, Segev Y, et al. 2023. Acupuncture during gynecological oncology surgery: A randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of integrative therapies on perioperative pain and anxiety. Cancer, 129(6), 908–919; Xu H, He Y, et al. 2025. Acupuncture treatment of postoperative urinary retention in cervical cancer: Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis. Medicine, 104(8), e41520; Tang Y, Cai Y, et al. 2026. Comparative efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Medicine, 105(3), e44085. Specifically, acupuncture has been shown to improve bladder control and retention after surgery and improve incontinence-related quality of life after surgery.5Xu H, He Y, et al. 2025. Acupuncture treatment of postoperative urinary retention in cervical cancer: Systematic evaluation and meta-analysis. Medicine, 104(8), e41520; Tang Y, Cai Y, et al. 2026. Comparative efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Medicine, 105(3), e44085. Electroacupuncture was shown to reduce rates of urinary tract infections, and shorten catheterization time after cervical cancer surgery. Studies have also shown reduced rates of urinary tract infections along with shorter duration of catheterization after surgery among people with cervical cancer treated with electroacupuncture.6Tan J, Gong R, et al. 2023. Meta-analysis of clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture versus conventional treatment for postoperative urinary retention in cervical cancer. Medicine, 102(43), e35580. An experimental treatment of acupuncture administered during surgery for gynecological cancer showed benefits for reducing pain after surgery, though this approach is not widely available in practice.7Ben-Arye E, Segev Y, et al. 2023. Acupuncture during gynecological oncology surgery: A randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of integrative therapies on perioperative pain and anxiety. Cancer, 129(6), 908–919.
Additional benefits of acupuncture for cancer surgery
Acupuncture has been shown to decrease pain after surgery among people with various types of cancer, including breast cancer.8Chiu HY, Hsieh YJ, Tsai PS. 2017. Systematic review and meta-analysis of acupuncture to reduce cancer-related pain. European Journal of Cancer Care (Engl). 26(2); Ma T, Xue G, et al. 2023. Effects of acupuncture on postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian Journal of Surgery, 46(11), 5029–5031. Acupuncture may also help decrease anxiety before surgery;9Oteri V, Martinelli A, et al. 2021. The impact of preoperative anxiety on patients undergoing brain surgery: a systematic review. Neurosurgical Review. 44, 3047–3057. however, it is unclear whether true acupuncture provides additional or different benefits for anxiety compared to massage or other mindfulness therapies.10Dilaveri CA, Croghan IT, et al. 2020. Massage compared with massage plus acupuncture for breast cancer patients undergoing reconstructive surgery. Journal of Alternative and ComplementaryMedicine. 26(7):602-609.
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