Chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer can cause many symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of receiving chemotherapy are nausea, vomiting, and anxiety. These symptoms can affect the quality of life of cancer patients. Medications can help ease these, but many patients continue to experience symptoms despite these treatments.
Acupuncture has been studied in clinical trials in cancer patients and has been shown to be helpful for management of pain, nerve damage from chemotherapy, and nausea.
Ear acupuncture is a type of acupuncture that involves the stimulation of points on the external ear. A few studies have suggested that ear acupuncture may help to reduce symptoms of nausea and anxiety during chemotherapy.
This study is being done to evaluate the potential benefits of using ear acupuncture to reduce symptoms like nausea and anxiety for women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.
