Alternative therapy may not be so alternative as it becomes more integrated with conventional medicine. Gwen Wyatt is a psychologist and counselor from Michigan State University who researches cancer care, pain management, quality of life and alternative therapies, as well as end of life care. She is currently organizing a study that will look at acupressure, and if it can help relieve chronic fatigue in survivors of breast cancer.
Eighty-two percent of patients feel chronically exhausted within five years of a breast cancer diagnosis. This may be because chemotherapy and radiotherapy destroy the immune system so those recovering from cancer also have to recover their immune function.
“There are more than two million breast cancer survivors today, and persistent cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common and distressing symptoms,” said Wyatt, who is a professor with the College of Nursing. “It is associated with decreased quality of life, poor sleep quality and depression.”
Three hundred breast cancer survivors who have been clear of cancer for at least a year and who are suffering from chronic fatigue will be studied. They will be divided into three groups. Group one will receive relaxation acupressure, group two will receive stimulating acupressure and group three will receive standard care.
What is acupressure?
Acupressure is based on an ancient form of medicine developed over 5,000 years ago in Asia. It is believed that there are energy points in the body called meridians and that if any of these energy points get blocked, illness occurs. By pressing on the energy point the blockage can be released. It works on the same principle as acupuncture, where tiny needles are inserted at different energy points, but acupressure is less invasive.
Other medical research has shown acupressure to be beneficial to patients. For instance, one study found that it helped improve fatigue in end stage renal disease patients. The researchers wrote "Post-hoc tests revealed that patients in the acupressure group were significantly having lower scores of fatigue than patients in the control group. Follow-up tests indicated there were significant differences between the acupressure group and the control group and between the sham group and control group. The study provided an alternative method for health care providers to managing ESRD patients with fatigue."
Another study found that acupuncture improved chemotherapy-related fatigue.
"There was a 36% improvement in fatigue levels in the acupuncture group, while the acupressure group improved by 19% and the sham acupressure by 0.6%. Acupuncture shows great potential in the management of cancer-related fatigue. As a randomised trial with acupuncture is feasible and preliminary data shows significant improvements," the researchers wrote.
Wyatt said a pilot study has shown that self-administered acupressure can improve chronic fatigue in 70 percent of cancer survivors.
“There are few treatment options for persistent cancer-related fatigue, and these costly treatments often require a trained practitioner or have unacceptable side effects; on the other hand, self-administered acupressure is non-toxic, inexpensive and requires minimal instruction. It appears to be a promising treatment for persistent fatigue," Wyatt said.
“Improving quality of life is a research priority at the College of Nursing. If a patient has to live with breast cancer, then the health care community needs to ensure that patient has the highest quality of life possible during treatment and aftercare.”
Sources: Michigan State University School of Nursing.
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Joanna is a freelance health writer for The Mother magazine and Suite 101 with a column on infertility, http://infertility.suite101.com/. She is author of the book, 'Breast Milk: A Natural Immunisation,' and co-author of an educational resource on disabled parenting, in addition to running a charity for people damaged by vaccines or medical mistakes.