For women treated with aromatase inhibitors for early breast cancer, acupuncture may help to relieve the joint pain and stiffness that sometimes accompanies these drugs. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The majority of breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive. These cancers are stimulated to grow by the circulating female hormones estrogen and/or progesterone. Treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer often includes hormonal therapies that suppress or block the action of estrogen. These therapies include tamoxifen [Nolvadex®] as well as agents known as aromatase inhibitors. Tamoxifen acts by blocking estrogen receptors, whereas aromatase inhibitors suppress the production of estrogen in postmenopausal women.

Joint pain and stiffness are one of the potential side effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy. Successful management of this side effect could improve quality of life and reduce the likelihood that patients will discontinue aromatase inhibitor therapy.

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that aims to improve health by stimulating specific points of the body.[1]

To explore the effects of acupuncture on aromatase inhibitor-associated joint pain, researchers conducted a study among 43 women.[2] All of the study participants were receiving an aromatase inhibitor for early breast cancer, and all reported musculoskeletal pain.

Study participants were assigned to receive either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture twice a week for six weeks. Sham acupuncture involved superficial needle insertion at nonacupoint locations.

Women treated with true acupuncture experienced improvement in joint pain and stiffness over the course of the study. No such improvement was observed among women treated with sham acupuncture.

The results of this study suggest that acupuncture may help women manage the joint pain and stiffness that can accompany aromatase inhibitor treatment.

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