Anyone do accupuncture for lymphedema

Amoc, lots of people would love to hear experiences of those who've tried acupuncture for the LE arm, so I'm glad you asked the question. I have no experience with it, but it's come up before, and I think one of the women here is participating in a clinical trial related to acupuncture and LE.  So I hope you'll get some posts with things for us all to think about.

yes!  I have had right arm lymphedema since the end of my radiation therapy two years ago. I immediately started CDT with my physical therapist. My lymphedema was not responding as expected to this standard treatment. Three weeks in I learned of a friend of a friend who is an acupuncturist (who happens to be certified by Memorial Sloan-Kettering to treat cancer patients) and had seen results with treating lymphedema. Now, I happen to be a Western-trained medical clinician and had never personally used any complementary therapies, but never discouraged my patients from trying them if they were safe practices...just so you know where I'm coming from. I decided to give it a try. Nothing to lose kind of attitude. 

She places the needles only in my lower extremities and does light/phototherapy on my upper extremities. No needles in my upper body at all. As she says, it's not necessary. Interestingly, during this very first treatment, my right arm and hand were noticeably warmer than the left. Coincidence?  Don't think so. The very next day after my first treatment, I returned to PT and when the bandages came off my arm was visibly, palpably, and measurably smaller!  My PT released me to self care within the next ten days, as I continued to go for acupuncture twice a week for about six weeks, then weekly, then every other week, etc. 

Life has intervened and I am more sporadic about acupuncture.  I didn't go all summer while kids were home from school, but went four weeks in a row in September, for example. But it is still very much part of my management.  I find that it always gives me a boost in reducing the size of my arm.  

I did ask my Acupuncturist about whether or not she has treated women for Lymphedema. She has not. She's treated breast cancer patients for other things, but not the swelling associated with LE. I asked her to please ask her colleagues.

Initially, I was referred to this Acupuncturist by my MO. Kaiser has done a clinical research study showing that Acupuncture treatments are effective in reducing joint pain in women who are taking Aromatase Inhibitors. I was very pleased with the results. I eventually stopped taking the AIs because of other SEs, but continued to see the Acupuncturist.

Last summer I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury. The worst symptoms were loss of memory and complete lack of equilibrium. I still went in for weekly Acupuncture treatments. As the months passed, I began to get better.

Last week, the horrific dizziness came back suddenly, and I made an emergency appointment to see her. She wanted to place a needle in my left wrist, but she knew I was hesitant. She did some Acupressure on a certain spot, then concentrated on different meridians. I did feel somewhat better when I left the office.

Yesterday, I was terribly dizzy as I lay back on the table. I was so desperate I told her to go ahead and use my left (cancer side) wrist. YOWZA! When a meridian is blocked, or stagnated, it can be more painful when a needle is inserted.... and this sure was. However, I had no such reaction in my right (non-cancer) side. I also had needles in my feet, and in my ears. Within minutes the dizziness had passed, and I felt completely normal.

I wish I could find more evidence as to whether or not Acupuncture has helped women with Lymphedema. The treatment itself is so contrary to what we are taught after lymph node removal - take ALL precautions, guard your extremities, LE can come on at any time..... etc.

But the purpose of Acupuncture is to increase the flow of energy in the body, to prevent stagnation - not only of energy, but of blood and lymph. If a tiny, thin, acupuncture needle can be inserted (very shallowly) to break up the stagnation, it would seem that this could be very effective in preventing the painful swelling and daily requirements of MLD and wrapping.

But here you have a direct conflict of Western and Eastern medicine.

I was really desperate yesterday, and it helped that I don't actually have LE. (In fact, I was told by my now-retired BS that I couldn't get LE because I "only" had an SNB !!!!!!) But since my surgery, I have taken all the precautions anyway, thanks to all the incredible information I have gathered on this forum.

I am just so curious as to how I might find more information.... legitimate information, not just "We can cure everything!" put out by some shady online Acupuncture clinic.

I'll keep you informed.....

Thanks, wrenn!!!

Does the Acupuncture help with your neuropathy?

I am going to Chinese acupuncture this week for the first time. I am debating if I should allow her to put needles in my cancer side. Has anyone had experience where these needles caused lymphedema? I don't have any pain anywhere but wanted to balance the meridians.  Any thoughts?

I do accu on my affected arm and it helps every time. There is a recent study that says that a large group of women who had accu on their impacted arm had mixed results - about hof got relief and half didn't. None were deemed to have gotten worse from it.