Acupuncture for Nausea & Treatment Support
Supportive care for nausea and comfort during medical treatment, including after surgery and during cancer care, always coordinated with your medical team.
Medical treatment can be hard on the body. Nausea, fatigue, poor sleep, and stress often come along with surgery and cancer treatment, and many people look for supportive care alongside their medical team.
What the research says
Acupuncture is widely used for nausea. A Cochrane review found that stimulating the PC6 acupuncture point on the inner wrist reduced nausea and vomiting after surgery compared with sham treatment.1 According to the National Institutes of Health, experts generally agree acupuncture helps with treatment-related nausea and vomiting in people with cancer.2 Oncology guidelines from ASCO and the Society for Integrative Oncology also recommend offering acupuncture for joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors, a common breast cancer medication.3
Who we see
- Nausea after surgery or during cancer treatment
- Joint pain from aromatase inhibitors (breast cancer medication)
- Fatigue, sleep problems, and stress during or after medical treatment
- Pregnancy-related nausea and morning sickness (see women's health)
See a doctor first, or go to the ER, if you have:
- fever during chemotherapy (call your oncology team right away),
- you can't keep fluids down, or you have signs of dehydration such as dizziness or very little urine,
- new or severe pain, bleeding, or shortness of breath, or
- any symptom your medical team told you to report right away.
These can be signs of something that needs medical care right away.
How we treat it at Wongu
Coordinated with your medical team. Please let your surgeon or oncologist know you're having acupuncture, and tell us about your treatment schedule, medications, and recent blood counts. If your counts are low, timing may need to change.
Gentle, adjusted treatment. Treatment is adjusted to how you're feeling that day. Points on the wrist, such as PC6, are often used for nausea. Your practitioner avoids areas affected by surgery, radiation, or lymphedema.
Acupressure at home. Your practitioner can show you how to press the PC6 point on your inner wrist yourself between visits.
Herbs only with your care team's OK. Some herbs can interact with cancer treatments, so herbal formulas are used only when appropriate and with your medical team's knowledge.
How many visits?
Visits are often timed around your treatment schedule, such as before or after chemotherapy sessions. Your practitioner will plan this with you.
Intern or licensed OMD?
Both are available. A supervised student intern visit costs less and gives you a longer first appointment (1.5–2 hours), and a licensed OMD oversees every treatment. A visit with one of our licensed OMDs takes about an hour. Every visit is one-on-one in a private treatment room.
| Visit | Supervised Intern | Licensed OMD |
|---|---|---|
| Initial visit (consultation + treatment) | $80 · 1.5–2 hours | $120 · about 1 hour |
| Follow-up visit | $50 · about 1 hour | $80 · 30–55 minutes |
| Cupping (up to 30 min) | $50 | $100 (includes OMD consultation) |
| Custom herbal formulas & teas | From $15/day | From $15/day |
Common questions
Get support during treatment
First visits from $80. Self-pay patients can book online. VA Community Care and Culinary Health Fund patients should contact Wongu Health Center before scheduling so we can verify eligibility, authorization, and provider availability.
Related pages
Sources
- Lee A, Chan SKC, Fan LTY. Stimulation of the wrist acupuncture point PC6 for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015. CD003281.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Acupuncture: Effectiveness and Safety. nccih.nih.gov
- Mao JJ, et al. Integrative Medicine for Pain Management in Oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology–ASCO Guideline. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022.