Pain relief is sometimes very difficult to provide for patients in the advanced stages of cancer but recent research suggests that acupuncture may be effective when conventional pain management techniques prove ineffective.  Typically, advanced cancer patients are given pain relief in the form of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or narcotics such as morphine.  However, these pain management techniques often prove ineffective in patients in the later stages of cancer.

Acupuncture is a Chinese invention and uses tiny needles that are inserted into various "acupuncture points" throughout the body.  A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that accupuncture provided pain relief in 36% of the patients who had found traditional pain management techniques ineffective.  Although considered an alternative medicine (and thus not having the support of the traditional medical community), there are even major medical facilities such as the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York that are offering acupuncture as a form of pain relief for advanced cancer patients.

While the recent study is encouraging, more research needs to be conducted before acupuncture is considered a legitimate form of pain relief by the medical establishment.  Still, for patients suffering intense pain during the latter stages of cancer, acupuncture should be considered as a pain management option when conventional treatment fails.  However, acupuncture is not recommended for people with the following conditions:

• Low white blood cell count–increased risk of infection
• Low blood platelets–may lead to excess bleeding
• Lymphedema (excess swelling in extremeties)–increased risk of infection