Written by Vinjar Fønnebø and the CAM-Cancer Consortium.
Updated February 15, 2011

Acupuncture and acupressure for chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting

Is it safe ?

Large-scale studies of side and adverse effects in acupuncture have shown that pneumothorax and burns occur at a rate of 1 per 10,000 to 100,000 treatments, while minor adverse effects (fainting, bleeding, tiredness and pain) occur regularly (a rate of 1 per 2 to 10 treatments).29-31 When acupuncture is used for nausea and vomiting, only one needle is usually used at one point on each arm, the risk of side and adverse effects is therefore very low.

Citation Vinjar Fønnebø, CAM-Cancer Consortium. Acupuncture/pressure for nausea and vomiting [online document]. http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Alternative-Medical-Systems/Acupuncture-pressure-for-nausea-and-vomiting. February 15, 2011.

References

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