April 17, 2025 • 13 mins
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome everyone to this deep dive.
We're tackling a topic thatreally affects a lot of people
Neuropathy, nerve damage.
Basically, yeah, that's rightand specifically we're looking
at how acupuncture might fit inas a potential treatment.
We've got some great sourcesyou shared and the plan today is
really to unpack them.
See what's important, what'sinteresting, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
There's some compelling stuff here looking at
how acupuncture could offersome real relief for well
different kinds of neuropathy.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Okay, so maybe let's just level set quickly.
Neuropathy what exactly is it?
One of our sources defines itas damage to the peripheral
nervous system.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Right, those nerves outside the brain and spinal
cord One's going to your limbs,your organs, everywhere else
really.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And it can be polyneuropathy, that's multiple
nerves affected, ormononeuropathy, just a single
nerve, and the causes seem wellvaried Diabetes, chemo.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, and sometimes frustratingly, we just don't
know the cause.
That's the idiopathic kind.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Right, and a big issue seems to be these painful
paresthesias, that awfultingling, burning, prickling
feeling.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Exactly it can be really debilitating, and because
the causes vary so much,finding treatments that work
well for everyone is a challenge.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Which brings us to acupuncture.
It's cropping up more and morein integrative medicine
discussions.
One source even mentions an NIHpanel back in 98.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh yeah, that was significant.
They found it effective forchemo, nausea and vomiting.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And suggested it might help other things too.
So this isn't exactly brand newterritory for medical research.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
No, not at all.
That panel really opened thedoor.
It showed that stimulatingspecific points could create
real physiological effects,validated for the research you
know.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So our mission today, then, is to look at these
sources and see OK, how welldoes acupuncture work for
neuropathy and is it safe,especially, it seems, for
chemotherapy-induced peripheral?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
neuropathy or CIPN.
One study really zeroes in onthat.
Absolutely, CIPN is a hugeissue for cancer survivors, a
really tough long-term sideeffect.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
The chemo drugs, while life-saving, can damage
those peripheral nerves.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Exactly, and this study we have looks specifically
at breast cancer survivors, agroup often affected by CIPN
from certain chemo agents liketaxanes.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Okay.
So this study.
It's described as a pilotrandomized controlled trial, an
RCT.
That's usually a pretty solidstudy design, right.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yes, considered a strong design.
They randomly assigned peopleto different groups to compare
treatments fairly.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Can you walk us through how they set this one up
?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Sure.
So they had 40 women.
All had stage I to 3 breastcancer and all had developed CIP
and at least grade 1 aftertaxing chemotherapy.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
They were split into two groups.
One got acupuncture right away,the IA group.
The other was a weightlesscontrol group, the CG.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So the control group just got standard care for a
while.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, for the first eight weeks.
The IA group got 18 acupuncturesessions over those eight weeks
.
Then both groups were followed.
The control group was offeredacupuncture later.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And they measured their neuropathy symptoms
throughout Right using specificquestionnaires at different time
.
Points Got it and theacupuncture itself the paper
seems pretty detailed about theactual treatment.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
What did it involve?
It was quite comprehensive,based on traditional Chinese
medicine, but standardized.
They used certain fine needles,manipulated them manually to
get that de-qi sensation.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
De-qi, that's the feeling Like soreness or
heaviness.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Exactly, it indicates the point's been properly
stimulated.
Then, starting week two, theyadded electroacupuncture.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Ah, so a mild electrical current through some
of the needles?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yes, At specific points like TW5, backseat points
, sp6, lr3, tailored a bit basedon where the patient felt
symptoms they even used aninfrared heat lamp sometimes.
And bit based on where thepatient felt symptoms, they even
used an infrared heat lampsometimes and occasionally.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
another point called Qi Duong.
Hmm, sounds thorough, okay.
So after eight weeks of this,what did they find?
What were the differencesbetween the immediate
acupuncture group and thecontrol group?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The results looked pretty promising for the
acupuncture group at thateight-week mark.
They showed significantimprovements on the PNQ sensory
score.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
That measured the sensory symptoms directly.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yes, and also on the AFSI TNTX summary score, which
gets at how neuropathy impactsquality of life.
The improvement there wasconsidered clinically meaningful
.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Meaning.
The patients likely felt a realdifference.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's the idea, yeah , and they also saw significant
drops in pain severity scores onthe BPISF questionnaire
significant drops in painseverity scores on the BPISF
questionnaire.
So overall it suggestsacupuncture really helped with
those difficult sensory symptoms.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That is encouraging and, importantly, any serious
side effects.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's key, isn't it?
The study reported no seriousside effects linked to the
acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Which is great news.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Absolutely.
It supports acupuncture as apotentially well-tolerated
option.
The authors even concluded that, you know, given the lack of
great options for CIPN and theside effects of existing ones,
acupuncture could be a valuablething to consider for mild to
moderate cases.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And it wasn't just the nerve symptoms, right Did it
impact their lives more broadly?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
It did, they found clinically meaningful reductions
in how much pain interferedwith daily life and lower
average pain levels too.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, and improvements in both CIPN
specific quality of life andgeneral quality of life measures
.
So it suggests treating thenerve damage can have these
positive ripple effects.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Interesting too that the study mentions other
treatments antidepressants,gabapentin supplements.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Right, and it points out that currently only
duloxetine is really recommendedfor painful CIPN and even that
has side effects.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Which really highlights the need for better,
maybe better tolerated options.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Precisely.
Many drugs target the pain, butmaybe not the numbness or
tingling as well.
And yeah, side effects likefatigue, dizziness, they can
pile up.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
So exploring something like acupuncture makes
a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It does.
And the paper mentioned otheracupuncture studies too, one
showing maybe a better responserate than a B vitamin type
treatment.
Another hinting it might evenprevent CIPN from getting worse.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
OK, so that paints a pretty positive picture for
acupuncture, specifically forCIPN.
But we also looked at anothersource, a broader review
covering different kinds ofneuropathy.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yes, that was a systematic review of RCTs, so
pooling evidence from multiplehigh-quality studies.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
What was the scope there?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
What did they look at ?
They searched major databasesup to mid-2015, looking for RCTs
that compared acupuncture realacupuncture to either sham
acupuncture or standard medicaltreatments for various
neuropathies, both poly andmononeuropathies.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And they assessed the quality of the studies they
found.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
They did using a standard scoring system to focus
on the more rigorous trials.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Okay, so what was the big picture takeaway from this
wider review?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Well, they included 15 studies in the end and the
overall conclusion was that mostof these RTs showed a benefit
for acupuncture over the controlgroup, specifically in diabetic
neuropathy, bell's palsy andcarpal tunnel syndrome.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So beneficial for those conditions.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Based on the evidence they reviewed.
Yes, they termed it probablyeffective for HIV-related
neuropathy too, but foridiopathic neuropathy, the kind
with no known cause, they feltthe evidence was insufficient.
Only one small study found.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Hmm, okay, did they do any meta-analyses combining
data statistically?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yes for diabetic neuropathy and Bell's palsy and
in both cases the combinedresults significantly favored
acupuncture for improvingneuropathic symptoms compared to
the controls.
The odds ratio, especially fordiabetic neuropathy, suggested a
pretty substantial benefit.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Wow, okay, let's dig into some specifics then.
Diabetic neuropathy, dpn.
What did the review show there?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
They looked at four RCTs, mostly from China.
They used manual orelectroacupuncture, sometimes
combined with things like snowlotus injections or B12.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And the results.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Compared to the medication control groups, the
acupuncture groups generallyshowed significant improvements
across the board.
Neurological exams, symptoms,overall improvement scores,
nerve conduction studies, evenblood flow measures.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Nerve conduction studies, that's, measuring
actual nerve function.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Right, exactly An objective measure.
We'll come back to that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Okay, what about HIV-related neuropathy?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Two US-based RCTs there.
An older one had some designissues but hinted at sustained
pain relief.
A more recent, stronger studyfound acupuncture plus
moxibustion.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Moxibustion, that's the heated herb thing.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Right.
That combination significantlyreduced pain compared to a sham
treatment.
So promising but maybe needsmore research.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
And idiopathic neuropathy.
You said the evidence wasinsufficient.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, just that one small crossover trial.
It compared electroacupunctureto sham and found no significant
difference.
So still an open question basedon this review.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Okay, shifting to mononeuropathies Carpal tunnel
syndrome, cts.
Lots of people deal with that.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Very common.
The review included four RCTshere and the findings were
generally pretty positive.
Both manual andelectroacupuncture led to
significant improvements insymptoms and those objective
nerve conduction study resultscompared to baseline.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Better than baseline.
Okay, how did it compare toother treatments?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Some studies suggested acupuncture was more
effective than night splints,sham acupuncture or pills.
One study, though, found nodifference from sham, when both
groups also used splints, butlong-term follow-up often
favored acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Interesting, and the last one mentioned was Bell's
palsy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Right facial paralysis.
Two English-language RCTs herewith slightly different results.
One found acupuncture betterthan acupuncture plus meds or
meds alone.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
But the other found no real difference between
acupuncture, steroids or homeexercises.
The review authors suggestedthe high natural recovery rate
for Bell's palsy might make ittricky to show a specific
treatment effect.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That makes sense.
Now you mentioned nerveconduction studies before.
The review noted changes therefor DPN and CTS.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yes, and that's a really important point.
Seeing changes in objectivemeasures like nerve conduction
suggests acupuncture might bedoing more than just symptom
relief.
It could actually beinfluencing the nerve function
itself.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So potentially a biological effect, not just
perception?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
That's the implication.
Yes, it adds weight to thefindings.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And across all these different studies and conditions
, what about safety?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Generally very safe.
Most studies didn't report anyserious adverse events related
to the acupuncture.
Minor things sure a bit ofbruising, maybe some discomfort
where the needle went in, butoverall it seems really well
tolerated.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
So, putting it all together, it really does seem
the evidence is pointing towardsacupuncture being a genuinely
valuable tool, especially forCIPN, diabetic neuropathy,
carpal tunnel.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think that's a fair summary based on these sources.
Yeah, there's a solid andgrowing evidence base suggesting
benefits for nerve damagesymptoms.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Which brings us nicely to LifeWellMDcom we
mentioned.
Dr Kumar is part of the teamthere.
Lifewellmd is an innovativeclinic right here in Florida
focused on health, wellness,longevity and, importantly for
our discussion, they offeracupuncture as part of their
whole approach and Dr Kumar wholeads that is an MD with
(11:03):
advanced acupuncture trainingfrom Harvard Medical School.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
That's a really key point Having a medical doctor
who also has that specializedacupuncture training from a
place like Harvard.
That brings a uniqueperspective.
It allows for a trulyintegrated approach, blending
conventional medical knowledgewith acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah, that seems particularly valuable for
complex issues like neuropathy.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And it sounds like LifeWellMD really focuses on
personalized, evidence-basedcare, which fits perfectly with
what we've been talking aboutright Tailoring treatment.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Exactly.
Neuropathy isn't one size fitsall.
Their approach seems to beabout understanding the
individual patient and usingboth traditional knowledge and
modern research to tailor theacupuncture protocol.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Aiming for the best outcomes for people dealing with
nerve damage.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
That commitment to personalized, evidence-informed
care is really crucial forhigh-quality integrative
medicine.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
So for anyone listening who is dealing with
neuropathy maybe from chemo,diabetes, cts, whatever the
cause and you're looking forways to manage symptoms, improve
your quality of life, well,what we've discussed today
suggests acupuncture isdefinitely worth exploring.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
The research certainly provides a good
foundation for considering it.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
And if you want to learn more about how the
specific expertise at LifeWellMDwith Dr Kumar might help you,
they make it easy to connect.
You can just call them.
The number is 561-210-9999.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Their team can talk you through things, help you
start that wellness journey.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, just taking that step, exploring options,
can be really empowering whenyou're facing a health challenge
.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Absolutely so.
Wrapping up our deep dive today, the takeaway seems pretty
clear there's promising evidencefor acupuncture in managing
neuropathy, especiallyconditions like CIPN, DPN and
CTS.
Agreed, While more research isalways good, what we have now
combined with the kind of expert, integrated care you find at
places like LifeWellMD, itoffers real potential.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Potential for relief, potential for better well-being
for people living with nervedamage.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And you know it makes you think, considering the
body's own healing abilities andhow therapies like acupuncture
might work with those systems,what other integrated approaches
might hold untapped benefitsfor our long-term?
Speaker 1 (13:12):
health.
That's a great final thought,something to keep exploring,
keep learning about ways tosupport our well-being.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive.
Welcome everyone to this deep dive.
We're tackling a topic thatreally affects a lot of people
Neuropathy, nerve damage.
Basically, yeah, that's rightand specifically we're looking
at how acupuncture might fit inas a potential treatment.
We've got some great sourcesyou shared and the plan today is
really to unpack them.
See what's important, what'sinteresting, yeah absolutely.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
There's some compelling stuff here looking at
how acupuncture could offersome real relief for well
different kinds of neuropathy.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Okay, so maybe let's just level set quickly.
Neuropathy what exactly is it?
One of our sources defines itas damage to the peripheral
nervous system.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Right, those nerves outside the brain and spinal
cord One's going to your limbs,your organs, everywhere else
really.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And it can be polyneuropathy, that's multiple
nerves affected, ormononeuropathy, just a single
nerve, and the causes seem wellvaried Diabetes, chemo.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah, and sometimes frustratingly, we just don't
know the cause.
That's the idiopathic kind.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Right, and a big issue seems to be these painful
paresthesias, that awfultingling, burning, prickling
feeling.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Exactly it can be really debilitating, and because
the causes vary so much,finding treatments that work
well for everyone is a challenge.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Which brings us to acupuncture.
It's cropping up more and morein integrative medicine
discussions.
One source even mentions an NIHpanel back in 98.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Oh yeah, that was significant.
They found it effective forchemo, nausea and vomiting.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And suggested it might help other things too.
So this isn't exactly brand newterritory for medical research.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
No, not at all.
That panel really opened thedoor.
It showed that stimulatingspecific points could create
real physiological effects,validated for the research you
know.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So our mission today, then, is to look at these
sources and see OK, how welldoes acupuncture work for
neuropathy and is it safe,especially, it seems, for
chemotherapy-induced peripheral?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
neuropathy or CIPN.
One study really zeroes in onthat.
Absolutely, CIPN is a hugeissue for cancer survivors, a
really tough long-term sideeffect.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
The chemo drugs, while life-saving, can damage
those peripheral nerves.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Exactly, and this study we have looks specifically
at breast cancer survivors, agroup often affected by CIPN
from certain chemo agents liketaxanes.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Okay.
So this study.
It's described as a pilotrandomized controlled trial, an
RCT.
That's usually a pretty solidstudy design, right.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yes, considered a strong design.
They randomly assigned peopleto different groups to compare
treatments fairly.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
Can you walk us through how they set this one up
?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Sure.
So they had 40 women.
All had stage I to 3 breastcancer and all had developed CIP
and at least grade 1 aftertaxing chemotherapy.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
They were split into two groups.
One got acupuncture right away,the IA group.
The other was a weightlesscontrol group, the CG.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
So the control group just got standard care for a
while.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, for the first eight weeks.
The IA group got 18 acupuncturesessions over those eight weeks
.
Then both groups were followed.
The control group was offeredacupuncture later.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And they measured their neuropathy symptoms
throughout Right using specificquestionnaires at different time
.
Points Got it and theacupuncture itself the paper
seems pretty detailed about theactual treatment.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
What did it involve?
It was quite comprehensive,based on traditional Chinese
medicine, but standardized.
They used certain fine needles,manipulated them manually to
get that de-qi sensation.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
De-qi, that's the feeling Like soreness or
heaviness.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Exactly, it indicates the point's been properly
stimulated.
Then, starting week two, theyadded electroacupuncture.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Ah, so a mild electrical current through some
of the needles?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yes, At specific points like TW5, backseat points
, sp6, lr3, tailored a bit basedon where the patient felt
symptoms they even used aninfrared heat lamp sometimes.
And bit based on where thepatient felt symptoms, they even
used an infrared heat lampsometimes and occasionally.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
another point called Qi Duong.
Hmm, sounds thorough, okay.
So after eight weeks of this,what did they find?
What were the differencesbetween the immediate
acupuncture group and thecontrol group?
Speaker 2 (03:56):
The results looked pretty promising for the
acupuncture group at thateight-week mark.
They showed significantimprovements on the PNQ sensory
score.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
That measured the sensory symptoms directly.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yes, and also on the AFSI TNTX summary score, which
gets at how neuropathy impactsquality of life.
The improvement there wasconsidered clinically meaningful
.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Meaning.
The patients likely felt a realdifference.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
That's the idea, yeah , and they also saw significant
drops in pain severity scores onthe BPISF questionnaire
significant drops in painseverity scores on the BPISF
questionnaire.
So overall it suggestsacupuncture really helped with
those difficult sensory symptoms.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
That is encouraging and, importantly, any serious
side effects.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's key, isn't it?
The study reported no seriousside effects linked to the
acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Which is great news.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Absolutely.
It supports acupuncture as apotentially well-tolerated
option.
The authors even concluded that, you know, given the lack of
great options for CIPN and theside effects of existing ones,
acupuncture could be a valuablething to consider for mild to
moderate cases.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And it wasn't just the nerve symptoms, right Did it
impact their lives more broadly?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
It did, they found clinically meaningful reductions
in how much pain interferedwith daily life and lower
average pain levels too.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
That's huge.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah, and improvements in both CIPN
specific quality of life andgeneral quality of life measures
.
So it suggests treating thenerve damage can have these
positive ripple effects.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Interesting too that the study mentions other
treatments antidepressants,gabapentin supplements.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Right, and it points out that currently only
duloxetine is really recommendedfor painful CIPN and even that
has side effects.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Which really highlights the need for better,
maybe better tolerated options.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Precisely.
Many drugs target the pain, butmaybe not the numbness or
tingling as well.
And yeah, side effects likefatigue, dizziness, they can
pile up.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
So exploring something like acupuncture makes
a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It does.
And the paper mentioned otheracupuncture studies too, one
showing maybe a better responserate than a B vitamin type
treatment.
Another hinting it might evenprevent CIPN from getting worse.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
OK, so that paints a pretty positive picture for
acupuncture, specifically forCIPN.
But we also looked at anothersource, a broader review
covering different kinds ofneuropathy.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Yes, that was a systematic review of RCTs, so
pooling evidence from multiplehigh-quality studies.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
What was the scope there?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
What did they look at ?
They searched major databasesup to mid-2015, looking for RCTs
that compared acupuncture realacupuncture to either sham
acupuncture or standard medicaltreatments for various
neuropathies, both poly andmononeuropathies.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And they assessed the quality of the studies they
found.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
They did using a standard scoring system to focus
on the more rigorous trials.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Okay, so what was the big picture takeaway from this
wider review?
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Well, they included 15 studies in the end and the
overall conclusion was that mostof these RTs showed a benefit
for acupuncture over the controlgroup, specifically in diabetic
neuropathy, bell's palsy andcarpal tunnel syndrome.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So beneficial for those conditions.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Based on the evidence they reviewed.
Yes, they termed it probablyeffective for HIV-related
neuropathy too, but foridiopathic neuropathy, the kind
with no known cause, they feltthe evidence was insufficient.
Only one small study found.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Hmm, okay, did they do any meta-analyses combining
data statistically?
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yes for diabetic neuropathy and Bell's palsy and
in both cases the combinedresults significantly favored
acupuncture for improvingneuropathic symptoms compared to
the controls.
The odds ratio, especially fordiabetic neuropathy, suggested a
pretty substantial benefit.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Wow, okay, let's dig into some specifics then.
Diabetic neuropathy, dpn.
What did the review show there?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
They looked at four RCTs, mostly from China.
They used manual orelectroacupuncture, sometimes
combined with things like snowlotus injections or B12.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
And the results.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Compared to the medication control groups, the
acupuncture groups generallyshowed significant improvements
across the board.
Neurological exams, symptoms,overall improvement scores,
nerve conduction studies, evenblood flow measures.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Nerve conduction studies, that's, measuring
actual nerve function.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Right, exactly An objective measure.
We'll come back to that.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Okay, what about HIV-related neuropathy?
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Two US-based RCTs there.
An older one had some designissues but hinted at sustained
pain relief.
A more recent, stronger studyfound acupuncture plus
moxibustion.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Moxibustion, that's the heated herb thing.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Right.
That combination significantlyreduced pain compared to a sham
treatment.
So promising but maybe needsmore research.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
And idiopathic neuropathy.
You said the evidence wasinsufficient.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah, just that one small crossover trial.
It compared electroacupunctureto sham and found no significant
difference.
So still an open question basedon this review.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Okay, shifting to mononeuropathies Carpal tunnel
syndrome, cts.
Lots of people deal with that.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Very common.
The review included four RCTshere and the findings were
generally pretty positive.
Both manual andelectroacupuncture led to
significant improvements insymptoms and those objective
nerve conduction study resultscompared to baseline.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Better than baseline.
Okay, how did it compare toother treatments?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Some studies suggested acupuncture was more
effective than night splints,sham acupuncture or pills.
One study, though, found nodifference from sham, when both
groups also used splints, butlong-term follow-up often
favored acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Interesting, and the last one mentioned was Bell's
palsy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Right facial paralysis.
Two English-language RCTs herewith slightly different results.
One found acupuncture betterthan acupuncture plus meds or
meds alone.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
But the other found no real difference between
acupuncture, steroids or homeexercises.
The review authors suggestedthe high natural recovery rate
for Bell's palsy might make ittricky to show a specific
treatment effect.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That makes sense.
Now you mentioned nerveconduction studies before.
The review noted changes therefor DPN and CTS.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Yes, and that's a really important point.
Seeing changes in objectivemeasures like nerve conduction
suggests acupuncture might bedoing more than just symptom
relief.
It could actually beinfluencing the nerve function
itself.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So potentially a biological effect, not just
perception?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
That's the implication.
Yes, it adds weight to thefindings.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And across all these different studies and conditions
, what about safety?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Generally very safe.
Most studies didn't report anyserious adverse events related
to the acupuncture.
Minor things sure a bit ofbruising, maybe some discomfort
where the needle went in, butoverall it seems really well
tolerated.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
So, putting it all together, it really does seem
the evidence is pointing towardsacupuncture being a genuinely
valuable tool, especially forCIPN, diabetic neuropathy,
carpal tunnel.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
I think that's a fair summary based on these sources.
Yeah, there's a solid andgrowing evidence base suggesting
benefits for nerve damagesymptoms.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Which brings us nicely to LifeWellMDcom we
mentioned.
Dr Kumar is part of the teamthere.
Lifewellmd is an innovativeclinic right here in Florida
focused on health, wellness,longevity and, importantly for
our discussion, they offeracupuncture as part of their
whole approach and Dr Kumar wholeads that is an MD with
(11:03):
advanced acupuncture trainingfrom Harvard Medical School.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
That's a really key point Having a medical doctor
who also has that specializedacupuncture training from a
place like Harvard.
That brings a uniqueperspective.
It allows for a trulyintegrated approach, blending
conventional medical knowledgewith acupuncture.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yeah, that seems particularly valuable for
complex issues like neuropathy.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
And it sounds like LifeWellMD really focuses on
personalized, evidence-basedcare, which fits perfectly with
what we've been talking aboutright Tailoring treatment.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
Exactly.
Neuropathy isn't one size fitsall.
Their approach seems to beabout understanding the
individual patient and usingboth traditional knowledge and
modern research to tailor theacupuncture protocol.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Aiming for the best outcomes for people dealing with
nerve damage.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
That commitment to personalized, evidence-informed
care is really crucial forhigh-quality integrative
medicine.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
So for anyone listening who is dealing with
neuropathy maybe from chemo,diabetes, cts, whatever the
cause and you're looking forways to manage symptoms, improve
your quality of life, well,what we've discussed today
suggests acupuncture isdefinitely worth exploring.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
The research certainly provides a good
foundation for considering it.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
And if you want to learn more about how the
specific expertise at LifeWellMDwith Dr Kumar might help you,
they make it easy to connect.
You can just call them.
The number is 561-210-9999.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
Their team can talk you through things, help you
start that wellness journey.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Yeah, just taking that step, exploring options,
can be really empowering whenyou're facing a health challenge
.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Absolutely so.
Wrapping up our deep dive today, the takeaway seems pretty
clear there's promising evidencefor acupuncture in managing
neuropathy, especiallyconditions like CIPN, DPN and
CTS.
Agreed, While more research isalways good, what we have now
combined with the kind of expert, integrated care you find at
places like LifeWellMD, itoffers real potential.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Potential for relief, potential for better well-being
for people living with nervedamage.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
And you know it makes you think, considering the
body's own healing abilities andhow therapies like acupuncture
might work with those systems,what other integrated approaches
might hold untapped benefitsfor our long-term?
Speaker 1 (13:12):
health.
That's a great final thought,something to keep exploring,
keep learning about ways tosupport our well-being.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive.
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