Hot Flash Relief for Breast Cancer Survivors: Electroacupuncture

After undergoing treatment for breast cancer, many survivors feel all kinds of strange symptoms and side effects. Many women report feeling frequent hot flashes, similar to the ones felt during perimenopause and menopause. While there is no surefire cure for hot flashes and other cancer symptoms, something called Electroacupuncture has proven very helpful for a number of women.

Electroacupuncture is similar to traditional acupuncture, but instead of using simple acupuncture needles, it involves needles attached to pulsating electrical currents. The currents are administered to certain acupoints once the acupuncturist uses hand manipulation to attain the necessary qi reaction. An electrode is attached to the needle, and it then provides constant stimulation to the acupoint.

Advantages of using Electroacupuncture instead of traditional acupuncture mainly relate to fatigue of the acupuncturist and less time under the needle (so to speak) for the patient. Because the electrode stimulus keeps the needles providing constant stimulation, the acupuncturist doesn’t need to maintain constant hand maneuvering. This often results in pause due to fatigue, but with Electroacupuncture, there is no place for human error. Electroacupuncture also offers a stronger stimulation without damaging the tissue when prodding or twirling the needles.

There are many studies that focus on using Electroacupuncture to fight hot flashes in breast cancer survivors. While scientists currently believe that the Electroacupuncture effects are slightly less than those from certain pills that reduce the effects of hot flashes, this treatment still has many positive effects against hot flashes. In some cases, the severity of hot flashes was even decreased by 70% to 95%! If you’re looking for some relief from hot flashes without taking pills, Electroacupuncture may be a great alternative.