Hi,
For those of you who don't regularly read the news section of the OCF site , I refer you to a new controlled, clinical study done by David Pfister, MD from Sloan-Kettering:

http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/news/story.asp?newsId=2199

While not helpful to everyone, the study showed 39% of the participants with less pain and more mobility compared to 7% of the control group who did not receive acupuncture. Study also reported a reduction in dry mouth.
- Sheldon

Sheldon:

Was this announced at a conference in CT? My nutritionist went to that conference and shared that info with me when she came back. I think it was given at Yale University around May 7th. From what she told me is that research is starting to prove acupuncture helps head and neck patients. She also learned at the conference that the peg tube is starting to become more of a standard procedure than an option for head and neck cancer patients.

Has anyone here tried the accupuncture treatments?

I had tried acupuncture while undergoing radiation treatments. I didn't notice any improvement with dry mouth, but I did seem to have more energy and also felt more relaxed after treatments. I went every couple of weeks for 5 or 6 weeks. I wonder what frequency of treatment the study found effective, and is it more beneficial to have the acupuncture during or after cancer treatment. I didn't have a neck dissection, so I can't comment on that.

Christine,
The article says the findings were presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

Hi Shel, thanks for the reference. I'm currently seeing an acupuncturist -- have just finished four sessions over 2 weeks, she recommends 2 sessions per week -- I hope it's not wishful thinking, but I have seen a slight improvement in my dry mouth. I've also just starter evoxac, and am not yet 5 months out of treatment ... so am remaining hopeful. Talking especially seems easier, through I tried to eat a sandwich yesterday, and the first bite dried my mouth out totally ... I should have anticipated that, I guess!, but it did depress me.

All best, William

Like many others, in my first 5 years out from treatment my acute xerostomia was something that I struggled with. During that time I tried two different accupunture practitioners. Sorry to say that neither produced results in me. I am one of those that wanted something to work so bad, I might have had a placebo response to even trying, but in the end it made no difference to me. In these tests, remember that they looked at patient's impressions, which is not the same as a finite measurement of salivary output, measured by some definitive means. Response to it can be a highly subjective thing,depending on who is telling you it worked. We have had many posters here try it over the years, and I haven't really seen a bunch of them come back and say WHOPEE!!.

This is a link to a thread that I started almost 2 years ago on this topic. This doctor "seems" to have a great deal of success.

http://72.47.208.43/forums/ubbthrea...ds&topic=0&Search=true#Post53796

You can Google the Doc if you're interested as I know that the link I gave for him no longer worked.

Jerry

My sister tried acupuncture a couple of months after completing her radiation and chemo treatments. It didn't help with the dry mouth, but did help her to relax. She has had acupuncture treatments in the past, before the cancer came, and actually didn't suffer from allergies after a year of acupuncture. It was quite amazing, she went to a specialist who treated allergies.

A few months after her radiation and chemo treatments, she started having nausea and ear pain. Spent a month in the hospital, trying to get the nausea under control and decided she wanted to go the acupuncture route since "western medicine" wasn't helping at this point. We didn't realize it but the cancer was back and causing her symptoms. The acupuncturist she had used in the past had relocated to the city I lived in, and since she was staying with me, he made house calls about 3 to 4 times a week. She felt it helped with the pain and to relax...of course it did not cure her, and when she decided to go into hospice care, discontinued the treatments as she wanted to go home to die.

Connie truly believed in the power of acupuncture, as she worked for a dentist who was into holistic treatment and acupuncture was one of the treatments she offered for relaxation and pain control during dental work.

Hope this helps a little, I know it's not every one's cup of tea.

Nancy

My husband's xerostomia left him completely dry. Couldn't lick a postage stamp dry. We looked for help in all of his doctors and a dentist who specializes in saliva abnormalities. None could help. Then we found Dr. Richard Niemtzow in Maryland. I kept in contact with him an entire year, as I searched for an acupuncturist on the West Coast who could offer what Dr. Niemtzow did. Then we made the trip. He made no promises. He reviewed the radiology records, evaluated Curt, and stated he thought he could make a difference. You've gotta know we were somewhat sceptical, but you know how poor quality of life is without spit. We had nothing to lose and everything to gain if it did work! Within 10 minutes, the saliva began to appear. Honestly. Curt was one who carried a water bottle with him 24/7. After the first treatment, we walked around the National Mall for over four hours in 80 degrees weather and he didn't need the constant sip. The water bottle was in my backpack the entire time. He was able to suck a breath mint too, (and that's actually part of the treatment after the acupuncture.)
So, does acupuncture work? Yes for us. Mind you, the saliva wasn't GREAT, but it was definitely life changing. It is also not permanent. He went 7 months then it began to decrease. We made a second trip to Maryland in January of this year. Again, good results. Dr. Niemtzow does these treatments on the weekend, and it takes two - one hour appointments. You can read about him at this web address: http://www.n5ev.com

First of all, welcome to OCF and congratulations on Curt's success in being cancer free.

In my post, 2 above yours, I have linked to my original posting about Dr. Niemtzow. I met him in August, 2006 and was impressed by the testimonials of his patients. It's nice to see that these people were not plants in the audience.

Thank you for sharing your experiences here on the forum.

Jerry