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Acupuncture for bone metastasis pain?

Page last modified on: September 19, 2008

Question from Isabelle: Does acupuncture help for pain from bone mets?: Answer —Neal Slatkin, M.D.: I think the value of acupuncture is best assessed in each patient individually. There have been no well-controlled clinical studies that have shown the value of acupuncture in the treatment of bone metastasis pain. Therefore, it would be hard to provide a good scientific answer to that question.

However, some patients with bone metastasis involving the spine or the ribs may have associated with their bone pain an element of muscle pain. And I would expect that the value of acupuncture would be principally to treat that muscle pain.

On Wednesday, January 21, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Pain Management: Getting the Relief YOU Need. Neal Slatkin, M.D., Michelle Rhiner, N.P. and moderator Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions about the best ways to deal with the physical pain and discomforts associated with breast cancer and breast cancer treatment.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Neal Slatkin, M.D. is director of supportive care services and associate professor in the department of neurology at the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, California.

Michelle Rhiner, N.P. is patient coordinator and department manager in the department of supportive care and palliative medicine at the City of Hope Cancer Center.

Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, with a a special interest in cancer survivorship, patient-physician communication, and quality of care for women with breast cancer.