Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is pleased to offer acupuncture to our patients. This safe, holistic treatment approach is performed by oncology trained, licensed, and credentialed acupuncture physicians at our facility, and has no side effects. From its inception in China more than 2,500 years ago to its popularization in the United States in the 1970s, acupuncture has been used traditionally to help disease prevention and symptom management, as well as to improve general health.
Our mission is to improve your quality of life using safe, non-toxic therapies and a personalized approach. Our patients’ health and well-being are very important to our team, and we encourage you to learn more about the potential benefits of acupuncture. The majority of patients find the treatments to be both relaxing and energizing, as well as helping to reduce their symptoms. Acupuncture can help with relaxation and cancer-related fatigue, as well as helping to reduce cancer treatment side effects. We offer acupuncture for cancer patients during and after chemotherapy to help you manage your symptoms and reduce side effects.
The National Cancer Institute reports that acupuncture can be helpful in reducing the following symptoms related to cancer treatment:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Hot flashes
- Nausea and vomiting
- Neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Pain
- Poor appetite
- Sleeping problems
- Weight loss
How Acupuncture Works
During your first acupuncture visit, you will meet with one of our oncology-trained acupuncture doctors. The acupuncture physician will consult with you to understand your condition, diagnosis, and existing treatment plan, and then prescribe a customized course of acupuncture treatment that is unique and complementary to your oncology care plan.
During your acupuncture session, the specially-trained acupuncture physician will apply needles, heat, or pressure to one or more places on your skin – known as acupuncture points. There are more than 360 acupuncture points on the body. Experts believe that acupuncture may work by causing physical responses in your nerve cells, pituitary gland, and parts of the brain, which can help your blood flow and body temperature, boost your immune system activity, and trigger release of the body’s natural painkillers to alleviate pain. Research is being conducted to try to better understand exactly how acupuncture works.
To schedule an acupuncture appointment, call 305-243-4129 or 305-243-8204.