Acupuncture and Chemotherapy
Image by Sabine van Erp from PixabaySupporting Healing Through Every Step of Cancer Treatment
When people think of chemotherapy, they often picture a difficult but necessary journey—one that saves lives, but takes a toll on the body.
Hair loss, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, neuropathy—these are more than side effects. They’re daily realities that can feel overwhelming for patients already carrying the emotional weight of a cancer diagnosis.
But what if healing didn’t have to feel so isolating?
What if another layer of care could help soften the experience, support the body through treatment, and even improve the outcome?
More and more, acupuncture is becoming a trusted part of modern cancer protocols. Not as an “alternative,” but as an integrative partner in care.
Why Oncology Now Includes Acupuncture
At many leading cancer centers, acupuncture is now woven into standard oncology care. Research continues to confirm what Chinese medicine has known for thousands of years: when you support the body’s innate healing systems, everything works better—including conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
Across hospitals and oncology clinics, acupuncture is used to help patients:
- Reduce nausea and vomiting
- Ease neuropathy (nerve pain and tingling)
- Improve sleep and digestion
- Boost energy levels
- Calm anxiety and emotional distress
- Support immune function
- Reduce inflammation and pain
And perhaps most importantly—help patients feel more like themselves again.
The Body’s Story During Chemotherapy
Cancer doesn’t just affect one part of the body—it alters the entire internal landscape. Chemotherapy, while life-saving, can further deplete vital energy, weaken digestion, and strain the blood and immune systems.
In Chinese medicine, we don’t treat cancer itself. We treat you—the person living inside the experience. Our goal is to strengthen your foundation so you can move through treatment with greater resilience, less suffering, and a deeper sense of peace.
What Acupuncture Does During Chemotherapy
Every patient’s journey is unique, but acupuncture offers a steady hand in uncertain waters.
During chemotherapy, treatments may focus on points that help to:
- Nourish blood and fluids
- Calm the nervous system
- Strengthen digestion
- Move stagnant energy and clear inflammation
- Support emotional well-being
It’s not about “curing” cancer—it’s about helping your body recover, adapt, and thrive through each phase of treatment.
A Patient’s Journey: Finding Strength in the Process
One long-term patient came in with a heavy heart. She had been diagnosed with stage II lung cancer, but a month later—after biopsies revealed lesions in her lymph nodes and sacrum—her diagnosis was upgraded to stage IV. The cancer was active and spreading, and she now faced surgery, chemotherapy, and potentially lifelong infusions.
Her oncologist prescribed four rounds of chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy. During this time, she received acupuncture weekly and before each infusion to support her body through treatment.
After the first infusion, she was surprised to find her energy levels much better than expected. Though she experienced some fatigue, she was still able to exercise and maintain her usual routine. Most notably, she never needed to take her prescribed medication for nausea.
After the second infusion, her appetite decreased and her hair began to thin, but her nausea and fatigue were mild and didn’t interfere with daily life. When her blood counts dropped—low enough to require a two-pint transfusion—she was still remarkably energetic, well beyond what her lab results would have predicted.
The third infusion brought a major turning point: a follow-up PET scan showed no visible signs of cancer—an unexpected and uplifting result at that stage of chemotherapy.
The fourth infusion, however, was the hardest. Her hair began to fall out in clumps, her energy plummeted, and her appetite nearly disappeared due to nausea. A lingering cold stretched on for weeks. Once again, acupuncture played a crucial role in her recovery—helping her regain strength, appetite, and equilibrium within a month.
Now entering the maintenance phase of low-dose chemotherapy and ongoing immunotherapy, she feels hopeful. Having experienced firsthand how acupuncture helped her maintain strength, minimize side effects, and recover more quickly between treatments, she faces what’s ahead with renewed confidence and resilience.
Ready to Add Acupuncture to Your Support Team?
If you or someone you love is going through chemotherapy, acupuncture can be an anchor in the storm. It won’t replace your oncologist—but it will help your body carry the weight of treatment more gracefully.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Book a session and let’s support your healing—inside and out
Many Lives Chinese Medicine
Beth Schiffman, L.Ac, FABORM
Acupuncturist Redwood City
650-366-4299
Schedule a Free Consultation
Follow us on Facebook
