Chinese acupuncture reduces pain, anxiety in cancer surgery: Study

JERUSALEM -- Israeli researchers found that Chinese acupuncture treatment reduces pain and anxiety during gynecological oncological surgeries, Israel's largest healthcare organization Clalit said on Wednesday.

In a new study published in the U.S.-based interdisciplinary journal Cancer, Clalit researchers found that intraoperatively administered acupuncture reduces pain and anxiety in patients suffering from cancer of gynecological origin, including ovarian and uterine cancer.

The study, which included 99 patients, examined the effect of a unique therapeutic approach that combines acupressure, touch and relaxation techniques before surgery, and acupuncture treatment during surgery.

The results indicated a significant reduction in anxiety among patients who were treated before surgery, while the addition of acupuncture during surgery helped to reduce the pain after it.

"The study expresses an innovative treatment concept of integrative oncology, which combines practitioners in Chinese and integrative medicine and a surgical, anesthesiologist, and nursing team, considering the best of both worlds," said Eran Ben Arye, one of the researchers.