Acupuncture for Chronic Dry Mouth
November 14, 2011 § Leave a Comment
For the first time, acupuncture has shown to reduce the debilitating side effect of xerostomia (dry mouth), according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.
The study, published in the journal Cancer, reported findings from the first randomized controlled trial of acupuncture to prevent dry mouth.
Xerostomia, or severe dry mouth, is characterized by reduced salivary flow, which commonly affects patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Most current treatments are palliative and offer limited benefit, according to Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., professor in MD Anderson’s Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science and director of the Integrative Medicine Program.
