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Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture in Cancer Pain Management: Current Status and Research Advances

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DOI: 10.23977/medcm.2025.070301 | Downloads: 6 | Views: 194

Author(s)

Qian Wang 1, Jianfeng Quan 2

Affiliation(s)

1 Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712046, Shaanxi, China
2 Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712000, Shaanxi, China

Corresponding Author

Jianfeng Quan

ABSTRACT

Cancer pain, one of the most prevalent clinical manifestations in cancer patients, severely compromises physical-psychological well-being and quality of life. As a principal external therapeutic modality in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has demonstrated unique efficacy in cancer pain management through mechanisms including meridian dredging, qi-blood regulation, vascular spasm alleviation, and ischemic duration reduction in tumor-compressed tissues. Wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA), a minimally invasive acupuncture technique, exerts analgesic effects by stimulating specific superficial acupoints to modulate neuroendocrine-immune homeostasis. This review systematically synthesizes current mechanistic insights and clinical evidence regarding WAA's anti-nociceptive properties in cancer pain management, aiming to advance novel therapeutic strategies for optimizing pain control in oncology practice. 

KEYWORDS

Wrist-ankle acupuncture; cancer pain; mechanisms; current statu; research advances

CITE THIS PAPER

Qian Wang, Jianfeng Quan, Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture in Cancer Pain Management: Current Status and Research Advances. MEDS Chinese Medicine (2025) Vol. 7: 1-9. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/medcm.2025.070301.

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