Acupuncture helps with chemo-induced vomiting

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

According to a review of the evidence, acupuncture reduces vomiting in the period after chemotherapy is given.
Electroacupuncture, in which pressure points are stimulated by a tiny electric current, has real value in reducing the nausea that accompanies chemotherapy for cancer. This is the conclusion of researchers reviewing the evidence for the Cochrane Collaboration, which looks at research in various medical topics.

They found nine studies on electroacupuncture and chemotherapy which showed that 22 per cent of patients receiving this support had acute vomiting within a day of chemotherapy. This was compared to 33 per cent of those who did not have acupuncture. It's not clear from this evidence, however, whether the effects of electroacupuncture persist after 24 hours. In the studies reviewed, patients also received anti-vomiting drugs, but these were not the newest of their kind so we don't know how acupuncture compares with these. Acupressure, where the patient applies pressure to acupuncture points, was also found valuable in reducing nausea after chemotherapy. These findings on acupuncture might be a useful quality of life advance for patients having chemo for cancer.

Source
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 Issue 2