A Holistic Ally: Acupuncture Support In The Journey of Breast Cancer
By Kari Pettersen
It is estimated that about 1 in 8 women in Canada will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. This statistic shocked me when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had no idea how prevalent it was. This means it is likely that at least one woman in your life will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
After my mom’s diagnosis, I wanted to find ways to support her beyond the basic knowledge I had. I decided to research and take a course so I could better understand and support breast cancer patients, and cancer patients in general.
I want to stress that acupuncture is not a substitute or replacement for conventional Western medical treatments. Instead, it is a supportive therapy that can help improve quality of life by managing side effects from chemotherapy and supporting recovery after treatment or surgery.
Many people wait until after chemo to seek acupuncture, but treatments before and during chemo can help reduce unwanted side effects such as nausea, neuropathy, and insomnia. Treatments can begin before chemo, after surgery, during chemo, or after chemo, and can be scheduled the day before, the day of, or after chemotherapy.
Below are some of the side effects acupuncture can help address.
Pain
After surgery, pain can occur not only in the chest but also in the neck or back. Chest pain may feel like pulling or tightness, similar to a taut band, and can extend into the chest or arm axilla.
Acupuncture can use distal, auricular, or local points to help ease post-surgical pain. It can increase peripheral circulation, supporting wound healing by improving the delivery of nutrients and blood cells to the affected area. Acupuncture may also help reduce the need for pain medication, support nerve regeneration, reduce scarring, and lower the risk of infection.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a common side effect of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or inflammation and may appear during treatment or months later. Some chemotherapy drugs are neurotoxic, meaning they damage or irritate peripheral nerves.
Symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning, cold sensations, loss of sensation, or other unusual feelings. Acupuncture is most effective when used preventatively or at the earliest signs of neuropathy, especially when taking neurotoxic drugs. The longer neuropathy is present, the more difficult it is to treat, making early intervention essential. Acupuncture helps by increasing blood flow to nerves, reducing inflammation, and improving central pain processing.
Studies such as Electroacupuncture with different frequencies for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial found that female breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy experienced improvement with electro-acupuncture.
Appetite, Digestion & Fatigue
Chemotherapy and medications can cause digestive issues such as loss of appetite and constipation. Acupuncture can help regulate digestion, gut motility, and relaxation. The vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the large intestine, plays a key role in digestion, heart rate, and immune function, and acupuncture along this pathway can enhance vagal nerve activity.
For those with pre-existing digestive issues, acupuncture before chemo can help manage symptoms and minimize side effects once treatment begins. Because chemotherapy is taxing on the body, acupuncture can also help strengthen and support recovery after treatment.
Fatigue is another common concern. Acupuncture can help support mitochondrial function—the body’s energy producers, similar to Qi or vital energy. In the study Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, acupuncture was shown to effectively reduce cancer-related fatigue and improve quality of life. Participants experienced improvements in physical and mental fatigue, anxiety, depression, emotional well-being, and social functioning.
Hot flashes & Insomnia & Stress
These symptoms often overlap and contribute to sleep disturbances. Stress and hot flashes can disrupt sleep, and chemotherapy drugs may also cause insomnia. Although the exact mechanism behind hot flashes is not fully understood, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in reducing their frequency and severity.
In the study Acupuncture relieves menopausal discomfort in breast cancer patients: a prospective, double-blinded, randomized trial, 52% of patients in the acupuncture group experienced significant improvement in hot flashes compared to 24% in the sham group. Improvements appeared after the second treatment and lasted at least 12 weeks. Sleep quality also improved significantly, with no reported side effects.
Acupuncture helps balance the autonomic nervous system by reducing sympathetic overactivity and supporting parasympathetic function. It can lower cortisol levels, decrease heart rate and blood pressure, and increase vagal tone. In Chinese medicine, emotional disharmony can arise when emotions are prolonged, intense, or suppressed.
The cancer treatment journey is deeply emotional, and I have seen firsthand how physically and emotionally exhausting it can be. Acupuncture can help release stored emotions in the body, and having a supportive healthcare practitioner can make a meaningful difference in reducing stress and supporting healing. By improving pain, hot flashes, and sleep, overall stress levels can also be significantly reduced.
Sources
Sear, A. (2025).Understanding and Treating the Breast Cancer Patient – Integration on All Levels- Distance Education Retrieved from Understanding and Treating the Breast Cancer Patient – Integration on All Levels | Healthy Seminars
Wild B, Brenner J, Joos S, Samstag Y, Buckert M, Valentini J. Acupuncture in persons with an increased stress level-Results from a randomized-controlled pilot trial. PLoS One. 2020 Jul 23;15(7):e0236004. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236004. PMID: 32701984; PMCID: PMC7377446.
Bokmand S, Flyger H. Acupuncture relieves menopausal discomfort in breast cancer patients: a prospective, double blinded, randomized study. Breast. 2013 Jun;22(3):320-3. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2012.07.015. Epub 2012 Aug 18. PMID: 22906948.
Lu C, Feng X, Shen Q, Li G, Wu T, Li X, Shao X, Wang P, Li R, Deng Y, Chen W. [Electroacupuncture with different frequencies for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomized controlled trial]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2024 Oct 12;44(10):1139-45. Chinese. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240123-0001. PMID: 39401811.
Molassiotis A, Bardy J, Finnegan-John J, Mackereth P, Ryder DW, Filshie J, Ream E, Richardson A. Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Dec 20;30(36):4470-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2012.41.6222. Epub 2012 Oct 29. PMID: 23109700.