Acupuncture

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Hi All

I looking for some advice on acupuncture to help with saliva.

I am very interested in trying this but I’m not sure how long I should wait after treatment. I’m 8 weeks post treatment.

Can anyone advise when the best time to try this is please and also if there is any particular type of acupuncture that is best?

Thanks you all as always for your advice, I have found it invaluable.

Suzanne

MikeO 11 months ago

I had auricular acupuncture Suzanne, unsure on how long after treatment I started but it was fairly soon, think you'd be OK going for it now.

My sessions involved one needle in each index finger and three in each ear, don't know if that's the same for everyone.

Not sure how much it helped, purely because I don't know how I'd have been without it, but it seemed to help....best aspect of it for me was the camaraderie with other members of the group, though the group option isn't available for all sadly. Good luck.

Metastatic SCC diagnosed 8th October 2013. Modified radical neck dissection November, thirty-five radiotherapy fractions with 2xCisplatin chemo Jan/Feb 2014. Recurrence on larynx diagnosed July 2020 so salvage laryngectomy in September 2020.

http://mike-o.blogspot.co.uk/

Beesuit 11 months ago

Hi Suzanne. Two posts in my blog about it. A lot of consensus now has it that if you can start during treatment you should. So I wouldn’t worry about starting it now. All the needles don’t touch the sore bits.
Like Mike mine were in the same place and I’m sure it kick started something. Chewing sugar free gum has been the best though.

Dani

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Suzanne75 11 months ago in reply to MikeO

Thanks Mike, I’m going to give it a bash.

Suzanne75 11 months ago in reply to Beesuit

Thanks Dani, I’ve read your blog and appreciate the pictures so I know what to expect. I’m definitely going to give it a try.

I’ve bought sugar free gum to try but I’m struggling with very sensitive teeth just now. I’m hoping this improves and I can get the benefit of the gum as well.

RadioactiveRaz 11 months ago

Hi I had auricular acupuncture I took ages to fine a practitioner I was around 6 months before I did. I do think it kick started my saiiva as early as the first session. It doesn’t work for everyone , I still use sugar free chewing gum 6 years on. I had to pay for my sessions as my trust didn’t offer them.
good luck

Hazel

Hazel aka RadioactiveRaz

My blog is www.radioactiveraz.wordpress.com HPV 16+ tonsil cancer Now 6 years post treatment. 35 radiotherapy 2 chemo T2N2NM.Happily getting on with living always happy to help

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Suzanne75 11 months ago in reply to RadioactiveRaz

Thanks Hazel. I’ve been looking online and I’ve found a practitioner that is an ex radiographer and has researched the effectiveness of acupuncture in cancer care. I’m hoping I’ll be lucky and they’ll offer this service.

Beesuit 11 months ago in reply to Suzanne75

Suzanne75 said:
I’m hoping I’ll be lucky and they’ll offer this service.

The needle placement is pretty standard.The lady who did mine says it doesn’t even need any study and can be easily taught to AHPs. I can offer my practitioner’s details so they can swap messages if you run into any difficulty.