Acupuncture Helps AI Pain

Aromatase inhibitors (AI) are a class of drugs that help thousands of women in the United States each year overcome breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are chemicals that help to inhibit the conversion of testosterone back into estrogen. Testosterone we all have, to a different degree, even women, and some of this testosterone is converted to estrogen which is a growth hormone. AI inhibitors are taken mostly by postmenopausal women who are undergoing chemotherapy. In premenopausal women, most of the estrogen in the body is produced by the ovaries, but postmenopausal women tend to make the estrogen in peripheral organs and tissues such as adipose tissue of the breast. Stopping this growth signal from estrogen reduces the growth of breast tissue and cure is hoped for that way. But what if the patients cannot take the Aromatase Inhibitors for the full recommended period due to joint pain and stiffness?

According to a large multi-center, randomized clinical trial that recently finished, acupuncture administered twice/week for 6 weeks significantly reduced joint pain and stiffness among women in early stage breast cancer who were taking the AI’s.  Joint pain and stiffness are the main side effects of AI and are a major cause of treatment non-compliance.  The study was randomized to include no treatment, sham acupuncture treatment, or real acupuncture treatment.  Compared to no treatment or sham acupuncture treatment, the true acupuncture subjects did so much better by the end of the 6 weeks, that the study authors, who are from 11 different large practices and academic centers, called for a major change in the way insurers see acupuncture, at least in terms of treatment with AI.  They argue that acupuncture helps with quality of life of these patients as well as with better outcomes of treatment since more subjects are able to follow the recommended course of treatment.

We feel there is now sufficient evidence to support insurance coverage says Dr Dawn Hershmann

Acupuncture is already “used commonly” by women in the United States, and there are many practitioners of acupuncture in the United States and many with expertise in Cancer support.

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