First, nobody (reputable) claims that acupuncture will "cure" cancer - and it won't. Acupuncture is an ancient method of treatment that dates back to the Stone Age in China. Just because acupuncture cannot cure cancer does not mean that acupuncture does not have a place in cancer treatment. As a matter of fact, many oncologists recommend acupuncture for their patients both before and after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Oncologists recommended acupuncture treatments for the purpose of reducing or eliminating pain as well as for reducing or eliminating the nausea that is often caused by treatments.

Cancer is a general term that covers more than 300 different diseases and can affect every part of the human body. The first line of defense against cancer is a healthy lifestyle and good health choices, but even the healthiest lifestyle is no guarantee that some form of cancer cannot strike.

The second line of defense is early cancer diagnosis. The earlier that cancer is found, the greater the chances that it can be cured. Treatments for cancer can include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Combination of two or all three of these options is very common - and this is where acupuncture comes in. This is where acupuncture can help a cancer patient.

Acupuncture can help reduce pain after surgery. There really isn't much debate about this, even in the established medical community. Acupuncture can reduce the pain and the need for pain medication in cancer surgery patients. Acupuncture has been used as a replacement for anesthesia.

Acupuncture is also regularly used to relieve nausea that is often caused by chemotherapy. Nausea is one of the most frequent side effects of all chemotherapy treatments, and it is also the one that is most dreaded by cancer patients that are undergoing chemotherapy. Acupuncture is used regularly and very effectively to relieve or even eliminate the nausea associated with chemotherapy treatment.