Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2020
Review Meta AnalysisAcupuncture for breathlessness in advanced diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Nonpharmacological approaches are effective strategies for difficult to palliate breathlessness. Although acupuncture is effective for dyspnea in early-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), little is known about its effects in patients with advanced (non)malignant diseases. ⋯ Acupuncture improved breathlessness severity in patients with advanced diseases. The methodological heterogeneity, low power, and potential morphine-sparing effects of acupuncture as add-on should be further addressed in future trials.