Acupuncture in lymphoedema management: a feasibility study

Use of acupuncture by people with or at risk of lymphoedema is controversial. They are advised to avoid accidental and nonaccidental skin puncture (NASP) in the at risk or affected area to reduce the possibility of introducing infection or exacerbating swelling (Cole, 2006; Acupuncture is a form of traditional East Asian medicine that uses needles inserted superficially under the skin to stimulate sites on the body known as acupuncture points. Traditional practice encompasses moxibustion, the application of heat (usually from the smouldering herb Artemesia vulgaris or mugwort) to stimulate the points by warming them (Birch and Felt, 1999). This article refers to these combined processes as ‘acu/moxa’. There has been little research into using acupuncture or moxibustion in lymphoedema management. Promising outcomes were reported for acu/moxa as prophylaxis (n=12) and treatment (n=12) for gynaecological cancer treatmentrelated lymphoedema (Kanakura et al, 2002), and for reduced symptoms and increased range of movement in breast cancer patients (n= 29) treated with acupuncture (Alem and Gurgel, 2008). In the latter study, the affected area was not needled.