Acupuncture and massage both effective for cancer-related pain: study

Research suggests that acupuncture and massage may provide some pain relief for patients with advanced cancer, but no studies have compared the two treatments. Now, a multicenter randomized clinical trial led by researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has found that both treatments not only reduce musculoskeletal pain, but also improve fatigue, insomnia, and patients’ quality of life.

The study, led by gastrointestinal oncologist Andrew Epstein, MD, and integrative medicine specialist Jun Mao, MD, MSCE, compared the effects of 10 weeks of weekly acupuncture and weekly massage with monthly “booster” sessions for up to 26 weeks. The study enrolled nearly 300 patients with advanced cancer whose average worst pain score was 7 on a 10-point scale.

Result is JAMA Network Open.

Over the course of the study, acupuncture reduced worst pain scores by an average of 2.5 points, and massage reduced worst pain scores by an average of 3 points, although the differences were not significant. Many patients also experienced improvements in fatigue, sleep, and overall quality of life. They also reduced their use of pain medication over time. The researchers say that emphasis should be placed on increasing awareness of the effectiveness of these treatments as well as expanding the coverage of these treatments.