Acupuncture to Help Relieve Dry Mouth in Cancer Patients

Dry mouth is an unfortunate side effect of radiation in the treatment of head and throat cancers.  The only medical treatment for this is Salagen, which comes with side effects of its own,  or the use of special mouthwashes and toothpastes that don't always prove effective.

It seems that acupuncturists have known that their methods could help these cancer patients for a long time, but these patients don't typically seek out alternative treatments.

Research may change that.  144 cancer patients experiencing chronic dry mouth were selected for this study.  They were divided into two groups.  One group attended 2-hour education sessions on oral care and the other group had 20-minute acupuncture sessions that targeted points that stimulate salivary glands.

Then both groups switched places.

By the end of the whole experiment, participants were nearly twice as likely to report a positive change in 5 out 6 chronic dry mouth symptoms. 

Don't get too excited.  Still, at the end of this study, only 1/4 reported improvement.

It doesn't seem like a promising treatment for all, but it wouldn't hurt to try it.

SOURCE