Photo Credit: Nemes Laszlo
The following is a summary of “Acupuncture in Multiple Myeloma Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review,” published in the April 2024 issue of Pain by Lyu et al.
Though a common complication of multiple myeloma (MM), either from the disease or peripheral neuropathy (PN), there’s no clear best course of action for multiple myeloma peripheral neuropathy (MMPN), with acupuncture showing promise in managing it.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate acupuncture’s effectiveness and safety in treating MMPN.
They searched PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from inception to November 1, 2023, to locate relevant studies on acupuncture to treat MMPN (Myofascial Painful Neuropathy).
The results showed 5 studies involving 97 patients diagnosed with drug-related PN were included in this analysis. No reports in the literature were found regarding the use of acupuncture for disease-related PN. ST36, LI4, SP6, and EX-LE-10 were the most frequently selected acupoints. Following acupuncture treatment, there was a consistent decrease in scores on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neuropathic Pain Scale (NPS), Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) among patients with MMPN. The Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) tests produced conflicting outcomes. No severe adverse effects were documented.
Investigators concluded that while acupuncture appears safe for drug-related PN and may provide pain relief, its effectiveness for disease-related PN remains unclear due to variations in treatment protocols and the need for further high-quality research.
