Electro-acupuncture effective for chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy

Electro-acupuncture effective for chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy

Electro-acupuncture (EA) can be effective for managing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer patients, according to research carried out in China. A total of 160 patients with paclitaxel-induced CIPN were randomly divided into four groups: 2 Hz EA, 100 Hz EA, 2 Hz/100 Hz EA, and a medication group which received oral methylcobalamin (methylated B12). The EA groups received electrical stimulation at bilateral Quchi L.I.-11, Waiguan SJ-5, Hegu L.I.-4, Zusanli ST-36 and Yanglingquan GB-34 during 30-minute treatment sessions, conducted three times weekly for four weeks. Clinical outcomes included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) scores, peripheral neurotoxicity grading, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain, assessed before and after treatment, and at a four-week follow-up. All groups showed significant improvements in FACT/GOG-Ntx scores, peripheral neurotoxicity grading, and VAS scores after treatment and at follow-up. The 2 Hz and 2 Hz/100 Hz EA groups exhibited greater reductions in FACT/GOG-Ntx scores compared with the 100 Hz EA and medication groups, with sustained benefits at follow-up. Peripheral neurotoxicity improved significantly in all EA groups after treatment, with the 2 Hz and 2 Hz/100 Hz groups demonstrating more sustained improvements than the medication group. VAS scores for pain decreased significantly in all EA groups after treatment and at follow-up, with the 2 Hz/100 Hz EA group showing the greatest pain reduction compared with the medication group. Overall effective treatment rates were highest in the 2 Hz (79.5%) and 2 Hz/100 Hz (81.1%) EA groups, significantly outperforming the medication group (47.4%). (Electroacupuncture with different frequencies for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2024 Oct 12;44(10):1139-45).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39401811/