Pain help for people with head & neck cancer
June 4, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
People who have head and neck cancer and who have surgery to remove tumors are often left with neck and/or shoulder pain as a result. This can become a big issue in quality of life and employment because it may result in extremely limited mobility with the arm or even turning the head.
According to study findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, acupuncture may be the solution for many people who find themselves in this situation. According to the press release Acupuncture reduces pain and dysfunction in head and neck cancer patients after neck dissection, the findings showed “that acupuncture provided significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients” following neck surgery.
Interestingly, the acupuncture did more than just help with the pain. According to the press release, “Pain and mobility improved in 39% of the patients receiving acupuncture, compared to a 7% improvement in the group that received usual care. An added benefit of acupuncture was significant reduction of reported xerostomia, or extreme dry mouth.”
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