Nausea and vomiting are very unpleasant. Nausea is from the back of the throat and/or stomach that may come and go in waves. It may occur before vomiting. Vomiting is throwing up the contents of the stomach through the mouth. Retching is the movement of the stomach and esophagus without vomiting and is also called dry heaves.
Some patients experience nausea and vomiting as a direct consequence of cancer treatment. Others become nauseated and sometimes even vomit before the drugs are actually administered, which is called anticipatory nausea and vomiting. They have been one of most common problems for cancer patients. Because they cannot enjoy eating and drinking, their nutritional status is interfered with and quality of life can be significantly impacted on. Quite a number of patients have to quit their cancer treatments because it is hard for them to bear those side effects.
How can Acupuncture help those side effects? Before answering it, I am going to introduce Stomach Qi, a Chinese Medical term. The Stomach is an organ where what we eat and drink is received and digested and turns into essential substances or nutrients. With the help of the Spleen, they are transported and transformed to Qi, Blood, and fluids to supply the whole body to maintain our physical and mental health and restore it when we are ill. No matter how severe a patient is, the prognosis is promising as long as he /she has a good appetite.
The importance of the Stomach is obvious and its function depends on Stomach Qi. Qi is a material in the body. It is dynamic and moves in a specific direction. As for Stomach Qi, it descends and thus enables the food and drink down from the mouth to the stomach and to small intestine and large intestine, and the waste after the digestion to leave the body. If Qi goes up, the problems such as nausea, vomit and low appetite occur. Acupuncture can be used to regulate its direction. This is the reason acupuncture can help with nausea and vomiting.
Here is a case. Tim was a healthy, energetic and strong young man. He and his lovely wife have four young kids. Besides regular workout in the gym, he played with his kids, did house chores, hiked with his family whenever they could. He was the bread-winner for the family working as a product marketing manager. His job required him to be active, alert, communicative, and to travel occasionally domestically or internationally, and to lead a team. He and his family visited their parents frequently.
One day he was diagnosed with a colon cancer. He and his family were struck by this bad news like a big storm. Sadness was hovering. His life was hit by a pause button all of a sudden. This worried their aging parents too. Pretty soon a surgery was done. A few weeks later after he recovered from the surgery, his first chemotherapy followed. Soon after it, he started to have nausea and low appetite mainly, besides diarrhea, low back and chest pain.
I was recommended to by his father who used to be my primary care physician before his retirement and his wife whose friend had been seeing me. The first time I saw him, he looked tired without brilliance in his face and eyes. He spoke weakly. When it was time for a treatment after the consultation, he needed to get onto the table. But his movements were slower than it should be at his age. When he came for his second session, “I have less pain, can breathe better, and feel more energetic.” he said. “Besides, my digestion is better too.” he added.
Even though he underwent those side effects after each of his regular chemotherapy treatments, their severity became less and less. “I started to work out again.” He told me one day with resounding voice. During the course of the acupuncture treatments, his brilliance in his face and eyes came back. When I told him to get ready for the treatment, he jumped onto the table agilely. He looked happier. I believe his family and parents did too.
Acupuncture can be used when nausea and vomiting are happening. Moreover, it can be used to prevent their occurrence of nausea and vomiting before a cancer treatment. Nei Guan (PC 6), one acupuncture point of Pericardium Meridian, is located on the palm side of the forearm, at a three finger distance from the wrist crease. Pericardium, an organ covering and protecting the Heart has a very close relationship to the Heart physically, physiologically and pathologically. According to Chinese Medical theory, mental activities are mainly charged by the Heart. Nei Guan connects Stomach via Yin Link Vessel. Zu San Li (ST 36), an acupuncture point of Stomach Meridian, is located at the lateral side of the tibia, a four finger distance below the knee cap. A divergent meridian from Stomach meridian goes to Heart. Meridians, vessels and divergent meridians are main components of Meridians and Collaterals system where Qi moves in and that ensures the body as a whole and organic one physiologically and pathologically. Those two acupuncture points are beneficial not only for the physical discomforts, but also for psychological ones.