Clinical Study of Acupuncture Intervention in Muscle, Bone and Joint Pain Caused by Aromatase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Breast Cancer / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture intervention in muscle, bone and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer. Method One hundred and forty breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitors-caused muscle, bone and joint pain were randomly allocated to groups A, B, C and D, 35 cases each. group A received ear acupuncture plus the intravenous drip of zoledronic acid;group B, ear acupuncture alone;group C, the intravenous drip of zoledronic acid alone;group D, oral administration of calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 chewable tablets and alfacalcidol soft capsules. The Brief Pain Inventory score was observed in every group before and after treatment. Bone mineral densities of the lumbar vertebrae were compared between the groups before and after treatment. Result In groups a and B, there was a statistically significant difference in the pain interference score at three, six and twelve weeks of treatment and at six weeks after the end of treatment compared with before treatment (P0.05). Conclusion Ear acupuncture can significantly relieve muscle, bone and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors and the pain relief is not related to bone mineral density, but muscle, bone and joint pain recurs in the patients after the treatment is discontinued. Zoledronic acid can not relieve the pain. Ear acupuncture plus zoledronic acid is not more effective than ear acupunctura alone in relieving the pain.