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Acupuncture Treatment For Leukemia
Leukemia, also spelled leukaemia, is a group of cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal white blood cells. These white blood cells are not fully developed and are called blasts or leukemia cells. There are four main types of leukemia — acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) — as well as a number of less common types. Leukemias and lymphomas both belong to a broader group of tumors that affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid system, known as tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues.1
CONTENTS
SYMPTOMS
CAUSES
TREATMENTS
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms may include bleeding and bruising problems, feeling tired, fever, and an increased risk of infections. These symptoms occur due to a lack of normal blood cells. In children they may even show an enlarged spleen or liver. Damage to the bone marrow, by way of displacing the normal bone marrow cells with higher numbers of immature white blood cells, results in a lack of blood platelets, which are important in the blood clotting process. That is why, subjects with leukemia may easily become bruised, bleed excessively, or develop pinprick bleeds (petechiae).
In addition,white blood cells, which are involved in fighting pathogens, may be suppressed or dysfunctional. This could cause the patient’s immune system to be unable to fight off a simple infection or to start attacking other body cells. Because leukemia prevents the immune system from working normally, some patients experience frequent infection, ranging from infected tonsils, sores in the mouth, or diarrhea to life-threatening pneumonia or opportunistic infections. Finally, the red blood cell deficiency leads to anemia.2
CAUSES
The exact origin of leukemia is unknown. Different kinds of leukemia are believed to have different causes. Both inherited and environmental (non-inherited) factors are expected to be involved. Risk factors include smoking, ionizing radiation, some chemicals (such as benzene), prior chemotherapy, and Down syndrome. People with a family history of leukemia are also at higher risk.3
TREATMENTS
Related Acupuncture Points:
T-7, T-8, T-1, T-2, SP-6, SP-10, LI-11, ST-37, P-6.
Acupuncture is known to relieve the symptoms and soothe the side effects of modern leukemia treatment. For instance, acupuncture cures the neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. However, there has been limited research on acupuncture for leukemia, and the research done was shown to have mixed results. More studies are needed to determine its potential benefits. The specific point on the wrist (P-6) when stimulated help chemotherapy patients reduce nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture also reduces the pain associated with leukemia.4
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Footnotes
- Leukemia: Patient Version – cancer.gov – 2017, https://www.cancer.gov/types/leukemia
- Leukemia – mayoclinic.org – 2017, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/leukemia/basics/symptoms/con-20024914
- Leukemia: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments – medicalnewstoday.com – 2017, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142595.php
- Is there a role for complementary therapy in the management of leukemia – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792198/