Relieving side effects with targeted needle pricks

Ms. Markhardt, you have been working for the ZIO since the beginning of the year. What areas do you cover in your work?
Lisa MarkhardtI mainly treat patients with oncological and hematological diseases. I can offer them integrative oncological treatment by adding anthroposophical therapies, but also practices from traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture.

What do you achieve with acupuncture?
Lisa MarkhardtI pursue two goals. On the one hand, I use acupuncture to support patients on an emotional, psychological level. On the other hand, such treatment also helps to reduce side effects.

What are typical complaints that you treat with acupuncture?
Lisa MarkhardtThe symptoms are very diverse. Chemotherapy, for example, can cause side effects such as nausea, exhaustion, gastrointestinal complaints or changes in taste. These can be treated very well with acupuncture. Patients whose disease is treated with endocrine therapy, i.e. anti-hormonal therapy, often develop joint complaints or have hot flushes. Acupuncture can also be used to reduce these symptoms.

So you only use acupuncture when the symptoms already exist?
Lisa MarkhardtNo. In certain cases, prophylactic treatment is also worthwhile. Because we know that certain chemotherapy drugs cause 80 to 90 percent of polyneuropathic symptoms - i.e. tingling, burning, numbness or sensitivity disorders in the hands and feet - I offer patients acupuncture at the start of treatment to prevent the symptoms from occurring in the first place.

What is the treatment process like for your patients?
Lisa MarkhardtThe appointment usually lasts 45 minutes. At the beginning there is a discussion in which the complaints are in the foreground. This is followed by the acupuncture treatment itself, where I administer the needles. The needles work during a rest period of 20 to 30 minutes, during which the patient should consciously take time for themselves. The needles are then removed and the patients go home again. However, in order not to unnecessarily prolong the time during which the patients are with us, we also offer to insert the needles if another treatment, such as an infusion, is in progress.

And how often should you undergo acupuncture?
Lisa MarkhardtPatients usually come for acupuncture once a week at first. As soon as they respond to the therapy and it is seen to be effective, the intervals can be extended to two and then even four weeks.

Are there any advantages of acupuncture that you would like to emphasize at the end of our conversation?
Lisa MarkhardtTwo things seem particularly worth mentioning. Acupuncture can provide relief for complaints that are generally difficult to treat with other medications, such as chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy. In addition, with a few exceptions, acupuncture is accessible to many of our patients and can be recommended as a treatment option, especially because it has no side effects.