The Right Nerves ARMED WITH ADDED SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, ACUPUNCTURE SEEKS MORE MEDICAL-MAINSTREAM RESPECT. The 48-year-old human resources manager knew what pain was. Diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago, she had endured months of radiation and chemotherapy, which left her nauseous and fatigued. Her physician prescribed several different kinds of medicine to alleviate the pain. While the medications helped somewhat, they also depressed her energy. At wit’s end, she made an appointment to see Kathleen Menten. As a result of a new program that began at Hopkins in August, Menten was able to offer the patient an alternative therapy—acupuncture—that would not produce the downsides of traditional pain medication. Although there are still some in the medical community who doubt the beneficial effects of acupuncture, the procedure has been extensively researched in the past decade, says Menten, who also serves as the coordinator for the Hopkins Complementary and Integrative Medicine Service. There’s substantial evidence, Menten explains, that acupuncture increases activity in the frontal cortex of the brain, which controls pain perception. Acupuncture also produces positive results by stimulating the release of endorphins and enkephalins, the body’s natural pain killers. Finally, Menten says, by strategically inserting needles in areas of the ear, an acupuncturist can affect any part of the body. “In the right region,” she explains, “the needles stimulate the nerves in the hand, for example.” The acupuncture pain program is funded by a two-year, $100,000 pilot grant from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research. The center expects to treat about 15 oncology patients a week, according to Menten, but also is seeking additional philanthropic support for the fledgling program. More than 2 million people regularly use acupuncture in the United States—part of a rapidly growing movement toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)—notes Adrian Dobs, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternative and Integrative Medicine, which is running the new program. Complementary medicine is a $12 billion industry in this country. More payers are reimbursing for alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, she says. The Hopkins center will be expanding its offerings, according to Dobs. It soon will be starting a six-week mind-body program designed to empower patients by teaching them skills that will help them improve their outlook on life. In the end, Menten says, when patients are desperately searching for pain relief, acupuncture may be an answer that doesn’t have the negative consequences of traditional medications. —Michael Levin-Epstein CHANGE September 20, 2005