Today, more and more people are moving toward non-pharmaceutical modalities like acupuncture to help treat cancer and its side effects. “Acupuncture is usually used as an addition to conventional cancer treatments, and its benefits are finally being recognized in traditional Western medical settings,” says Dr. Laurie R. Mallis, a physician and licensed acupuncturist with SearchLight Medical in Hopewell Junction, NY.

“Acupuncture is useful in treating cancer because, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, placing needles in specific places on the skin can contact the person’s qi, removing blockages that prevent the normal flow of qi throughout the body,” Mallis says. “This causes certain physical responses that stimulate the release of proteins, hormones and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions.” Acupuncture is thought to affect blood pressure and body temperature, boost immune system activity, and cause the body to release natural painkillers, such as endorphins, she says.     

While acupuncture has been around for more than 4,000 years, it has been used in the United States for only about 200 years—especially since 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.  Research on acupuncture began in the United States in 1976, and 20 years later, the US Food and Drug Administration approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners. Now many illnesses are treated with acupuncture, Mallis says. When used in cancer treatment, acupuncture is used primarily to control symptoms of the disease, from pain, fatigue and weight loss to anxiety and depression, as well as certain side effects of chemotherapy.

SearchLight Medical is located at 2345 Rte. 52, Hopewell Junction, NY. For more info, call 845.592.4310 or visit SearchLightMedical.com