Acupuncture for Cancer Care & Oncology Support
Supportive care during cancer treatment, recovery, and beyond.
Going through cancer treatment can take a toll on your body in ways you may not have expected. Between chemotherapy, radiation, medications, appointments, and everything else that comes with a cancer diagnosis, you may be dealing with symptoms that make everyday life more difficult.
Nausea, fatigue, pain, swelling, neuropathy, poor sleep, and anxiety can all become part of the experience. And while your medical team is focused on treating your cancer, you deserve support for how you're feeling along the way.
Acupuncture offers a gentle, complementary approach to managing certain side effects of cancer treatment, with the goal of helping you feel more comfortable and improving your quality of life.
At Balance, we provide supportive care for patients actively undergoing cancer treatment, working alongside their oncology teams to help ensure acupuncture is appropriate for their individual needs.
How can acupuncture help during cancer treatment?
Cancer treatments can affect many different systems in your body. Chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, and hormone therapies can all produce side effects that influence your comfort, energy, sleep, and overall well-being.
Acupuncture is used in many integrative oncology programs as a complementary approach to managing certain cancer-related symptoms.
Research suggests acupuncture may be helpful for:
Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, alongside prescribed anti-nausea medications
Cancer-related pain, including certain types of treatment-related discomfort
Joint pain from hormone therapy
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, including numbness, tingling, and discomfort in the hands and feet
Cancer-related fatigue
Sleep disturbances and insomnia
Anxiety, stress, and emotional distress
Hot flashes and night sweats related to cancer treatment
Dry mouth associated with certain cancer treatments
Our goal is to understand what you're experiencing and identify where acupuncture may be a helpful addition to your medical care.
Is acupuncture safe during cancer treatment?
For many patients, acupuncture can be safely incorporated into cancer care when provided by a qualified practitioner.
In our practice, we review your medical history, current treatment plan, medications, and any relevant laboratory results or medical restrictions before beginning care.
Special considerations may include:
Low white blood cell or platelet counts
Increased infection or bleeding risk
Immune suppression during chemotherapy
Recent surgery or areas undergoing radiation
Lymphedema or a history of lymph node removal
Ports, medical devices, or other areas requiring special precautions
Changes in your health or treatment schedule
We use sterile, single-use acupuncture needles and modify or postpone treatment when medically appropriate.
We may request additional guidance or clearance from your oncology team, particularly when blood counts are low or other medical complications are present.
Acupuncture during chemotherapy and radiation
You don't have to wait until cancer treatment is finished to explore acupuncture.
Many patients receive acupuncture while actively undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, with treatment plans adjusted around their oncology schedules and current health.
Chemotherapy can cause nausea, fatigue, changes in appetite, neuropathy, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Radiation may also produce fatigue and localized side effects, depending on the area being treated.
Acupuncture may help manage certain symptoms during treatment, particularly nausea and pain. It may also provide a relaxing, supportive experience during a physically and emotionally demanding time.
We take your treatment schedule, medications, recent blood work when relevant, and your medical team's recommendations into consideration when planning care.
If you're feeling especially fatigued or uncomfortable, treatments can be adjusted to accommodate how you're feeling that day.
Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of certain chemotherapy medications. It can cause tingling, burning, numbness, sensitivity, or changes in sensation in your hands and feet.
These symptoms can interfere with walking, sleeping, exercising, or simple daily activities. For some patients, neuropathy improves after chemotherapy ends. For others, symptoms can continue after treatment.
We can incorporate acupuncture into your symptom-management plan, with treatments adapted to your comfort and current health.
It's important to let your oncology team know about any new or worsening neuropathy, particularly during chemotherapy, since changes in symptoms may affect your medical treatment plan.
Breast cancer treatment and acupuncture
Breast cancer treatment often involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. Each can bring its own challenges, including joint pain, hot flashes, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional stress.
One area where acupuncture has particularly encouraging research is joint pain associated with aromatase inhibitors, medications commonly prescribed for hormone-sensitive breast cancer. A large clinical trial published in JAMA, along with a subsequent follow-up study, found that acupuncture helped reduce joint pain in some women receiving these medications, with benefits that persisted beyond the treatment period.
Acupuncture may also be considered for hot flashes, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and other treatment-related symptoms.
For patients who have undergone breast surgery or lymph node removal, we take special precautions around surgical areas and lymphedema risk.
The emotional side of cancer treatment
A cancer diagnosis can affect far more than your physical health. Between appointments, waiting for results, managing side effects, and adjusting to changes in your daily life, it's understandable to experience anxiety, uncertainty, or difficulty sleeping.
Sometimes the emotional demands continue even when treatment is going well.
Acupuncture offers an opportunity to slow down and receive care that focuses on your comfort and well-being.
Specifically, acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system by calming the body's fight-or-flight response, encouraging its rest-and-digest state, and stimulating the release of natural chemicals like endorphins that support relaxation, emotional well-being, and a greater sense of balance.
Many patients find their treatments deeply relaxing. For some, having a quiet hour to rest and feel cared for can be meaningful during an otherwise demanding time.
In addition to counseling or mental health support, acupuncture can be another resource to help you navigate the experience.
Cancer recovery and survivorship
Even after chemotherapy or radiation ends, your body may need time to recover. Fatigue, neuropathy, joint pain, sleep disturbances, and hormonal changes can continue for months or longer after treatment.
You may also find that returning to your usual routines takes more time than expected.
Acupuncture can remain part of your supportive care during recovery, with treatments focused on the symptoms that are still affecting your comfort and quality of life.
There's no expectation that you should feel a certain way or recover on a particular timeline.
Working alongside your oncology team
When you're undergoing cancer treatment, you already have a team of healthcare professionals helping you navigate your care. We believe acupuncture should fit comfortably into that plan.
At Balance, we welcome referrals from oncologists and other healthcare providers and recognize the importance of communication and collaboration.
We'll take time to understand your diagnosis, treatment schedule, symptoms, and any precautions recommended by your medical team.
Your acupuncture treatments may change from week to week, depending on how you're feeling and what symptoms need the most attention. Our goal is to provide a supportive experience that complements your existing care and helps make the treatment process a little more manageable.
For referring oncologists and healthcare providers
Balance Acupuncture welcomes referrals for patients actively undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, and other cancer treatments, as well as those navigating recovery and survivorship.
Our approach focuses on providing thoughtful, individualized supportive care to help manage symptoms and side effects of cancer treatment, including nausea, pain, peripheral neuropathy, joint pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and emotional distress.
Patient safety is central to our approach. We consider relevant laboratory findings, infection and bleeding risks, surgical history, lymphedema precautions, treatment schedules, and other medical considerations when determining whether acupuncture is appropriate.
We value collaborative care and welcome communication regarding patient-specific precautions, treatment restrictions, and clinical goals.
Healthcare providers are welcome to contact Balance Acupuncture directly to discuss referrals or patient-specific considerations: lauren@balancecharleston.com or (843) 790-4295
Support for your comfort and quality of life
Cancer treatment asks a lot of you, physically and emotionally. Managing the side effects shouldn't have to be something you navigate alone.
Acupuncture can offer additional support for symptoms that affect your sleep, energy, comfort, and daily life, while working alongside the medical treatments that are central to your care.
We're here to listen, understand what you're going through, and provide care that meets you where you are.
If you're interested in acupuncture during cancer treatment, we're happy to discuss your symptoms, answer questions, and help determine if it's an appropriate addition to your care.
Schedule an appointment or start with a free 15-minute phone consultation.
Acupuncture for Cancer Care in Charleston, SC
Balance Acupuncture provides complementary acupuncture and Chinese medicine care in Charleston for patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and other cancer treatments, as well as those recovering from treatment.
We welcome referrals from oncology practices, cancer centers, and healthcare providers throughout Charleston and the Lowcountry.