Efficacy of the complementary therapies in the management of cancer pain in palliative care: A systematic review.
Luís Carlos Lopes-Júnior, Gabriela Sylvestre Rosa, Raphael Manhães Pessanha and 3 others
PMID 33027406WHAT IT FOUND
Massage, acupuncture, and relaxation trials for palliative cancer pain showed mixed short-term results.
Some pain scores improved immediately, but most evidence was uncertain, so no therapy is established as effective.
Key findings
01The review included six randomized trials with 609 patients: three tested massage, one tested progressive muscle relaxation and guided imaging, and two tested acupuncture; most had uncertain or high risk of bias.
02Massage trials reported immediate pain reductions, but an aromatherapy and massage trial found no cumulative effect over time, and a massage trial found no group differences over time.
03Acupuncture evidence was mixed: a trial found greater pain reduction on day 5 when si guanxue points were added, but no differences were seen in patient-reported improvement, quality of life, or performance status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Most included trials had uncertain or high risk of bias. Blinding of participants and providers was often not possible. Interventions and cancer types were heterogeneous, so meta-analysis was not feasible. Follow-up was short, so sustained effects were not shown. The review included only randomized trials, which may have excluded relevant evidence.
Declared interests
The review was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo (FAPES).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that massage, acupuncture, or relaxation reliably reduces cancer pain. The review found immediate improvements in some trials, but most included trials had uncertain or high risk of bias, short follow-up, and heterogeneous interventions, so sustained effects are not established.