By inserting very thin needles at specific points on the body and passing a mild electric current between them, electroacupuncture can relieve some side effects and symptoms common during cancer.
Safety and precautions
Electroacupuncture is generally safe, with few and usually mild side effects. Some people should not undergo electroacupuncture.
Side effects or adverse events
The risk of negative events or side effects is low and may be lower than those from drug therapies.1Wang X, Cai W et al. Is electroacupuncture an effective and safe treatment for poststroke depression? an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. BioMed Research International. 2021 Aug 24;2021:8661162.
Side effects include these:2Ratini M. What Is Electroacupuncture? Web MD. June 17, 2021. Viewed September 18, 2021; Healthline. Try This: Electroacupuncture. December 7, 2020. Viewed September 18, 2021.
- Brief pain when the needle is inserted
- Light bleeding (a few drops) when the needle is removed
- Occasional redness or bruising at the needle site
Less common or rare side effects:
- Mild nausea
- Brief dizziness, feeling faint, or fainting
- Infection at the needle site, though this is rare when single-use sterile needles are used
- Organ, tissue, or nerve damage
- Temporary low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Vomiting during or after treatment
Interactions with other therapies
Preliminary evidence of worse chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) among people with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy of taxane treated with electroacupuncture compared to sham3Greenlee H, Crew KD et al. Randomized sham-controlled pilot trial of weekly electro-acupuncture for the prevention of taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in women with early stage breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2016 Apr;156(3):453-464.
Do not use (contraindications)
People who have a history of any of the following conditions should avoid electroacupuncture:
- Seizures or epilepsy (for electroacupuncture to the head)
- Heart disease using a pacemaker or defibrillator
According to the Society for Integrative Oncology clinical practice guidelines for integrative therapies in breast cancer care, “electroacupuncture should not be used in patients with a pacemaker or implantable defibrillators and that special attention is required when treating patients who are pregnant, have seizure disorders, or are disoriented.”4Greenlee H, DuPont-Reyes MJ et al. Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2017 May 6;67(3):194-232.
References