Acupuncture vs. Massage for Insomnia and Pain in Advanced Cancer: Exploratory RCT.

J Pain Symptom ManageJul 18, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchOncology (Medical)Open access

Eunbin Kwag, Rose W Y Fok, Qing S Li et al.

✦ AI-curated · Sources linked

In 30 seconds

This multicenter randomized controlled trial compared acupuncture and massage therapy for treating insomnia in 234 patients with advanced cancer and baseline insomnia. Both interventions significantly improved insomnia severity scores at week 10, with no significant difference between groups (ISI reduction of -3.86 for acupuncture vs -3.83 for massage, P = 0.91).

Key findings

  • Both acupuncture and massage improved insomnia severity scores at week 10 (ISI reduction of -3.86 and -3.83, respectively; both P < 0.0001).
  • Responder rates for insomnia were similar: 35.1% for acupuncture and 33.3% for massage.
  • Pain responder rates were higher for massage (62.9%) compared to acupuncture (48.0%).
  • Insomnia responders showed greater reductions in pain at weeks 10 and 26 (both P < 0.0001).

Why it matters

The findings highlight the effectiveness of both acupuncture and massage in managing insomnia among patients with advanced cancer, a population often facing multiple symptoms. Understanding the interplay between sleep and pain can inform integrative treatment strategies.

Source

PubMed · PMID 42471129Free full text on PubMed Central

Published in J Pain Symptom Manage. This summary was written by xxcode from the publication's abstract and metadata. It is not peer reviewed and is not a substitute for the original article. For clinical decisions, review the original publication.

ShareTelegramLinkedIn

AI-generated summaries may contain errors or omissions. Verify clinically important information with the original publication.

More in Oncology (Medical)

Clinical ResearchPreventive Medicine / Public Health

2025 National Guidelines on the Mediterranean Diet: Executive Summary of a Joint Report by Italian Scientific Societies and the National Institute of Health Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.

This systematic review and practice guideline, developed by a multidisciplinary panel using NUTRIGRADE, assessed Mediterranean diet evidence across nine health domains and one economic domain.

Nutr RevNov 12, 2026Read summary
Clinical ResearchOrthopedic Surgery

Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism after Total Hip or Knee Replacement.

This multicenter randomized comparative-effectiveness noninferiority trial compared 30 days of aspirin, warfarin, or rivaroxaban for VTE prophylaxis after elective total hip or knee arthroplasty.

N Engl J MedNov 12, 2026Read summary
Clinical ResearchAnesthesiology

Effect of discontinuing antihypertensives on perioperative hypotension in older patients before non-cardiac surgery: multicentre, randomised, double blind, controlled trial.

This multicentre, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial assessed whether withholding ACE inhibitors or ARBs on the morning of surgery reduces perioperative hypotension in older adults undergoing non-cardiac…

BMJNov 11, 2026Read summary

Want this personalized?

Stop searching the literature. Choose what you follow and xxcode will build your personalized medical digest.

  • Your specialties
  • Your filters and thresholds
  • Clinical Research + Case Reports, tuned separately
  • Automatic weekly delivery
  • Audio and text
Create my personalized digestSee plans

Prefer listening? Personalized audio digests are available with Pro.

Stay updated for free

Get the 3 most interesting publications in one specialty each week.

Weekly email. Unsubscribe anytime.