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Acustimulation wristbands for the relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea
Joseph A Roscoe1, Gary R Morrow, Peter Bushunow
1University of Rochester Cancer Center, NY, USA.
Context:
Substantial evidence suggests that acupuncture-point stimulation may be effective in controlling side effects of chemotherapy.
Objective:
To examine the efficacy of an acustimulation wristband for the relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea.
Design:
Randomized clinical trial using a 3-level crossover design.
Setting:
Three outpatient oncology clinics in the northeastern United States.
Participants:
Twenty-five women and 2 men who experienced moderate or more severe nausea following their first chemotherapy treatment.
Intervention:
We compared active acustimulation of the Pericardium 6 (PC-6) point on the ventral surface of the wrist with sham acustimulation (a corresponding point on the posterior surface of the wrist). A control group received no acustimulation.
Outcome Measures:
Severity of nausea and quantity of antiemetic medication used.
Results:
No statistically significant differences in average severity of nausea were observed between the 3 interventions. However, the data showed a difference close to statistical significance in the severity of delayed nausea reported during active acustimulation compared to no acustimulation (P <.06). In addition, patients took fewer antinausea pills during the active-acustimulation cycle of this experiment compared to the no-acustimulation phase (P < .05).
Conclusion:
Findings on the efficacy of an acustimulation band for the control of chemotherapy-induced nausea are positive but not conclusive. These findings provide ample justification for further study of acustimulation in clinical oncology.