Impact of Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine on Patients Quality-of-life During National Emergency and Wartime

The current ongoing war in Israel, which began in October 2023 with a risk for spreading regionally across the Middle East, has presented a significant challenge to many patients, affecting also those receiving active oncology treatment. The present study examines a unique setting of care involving a diverse population of patients, including those receiving oncology treatment, from a widely diverse social, cultural and religious, background. Patients are offered integrative medicine treatments for 3 weeks with the goal of addressing war-related physical, emotional, and other quality of life-related concerns. After signing the informed consent form, patients will be randomly allocated to one of the two study interventions: acupressure-relaxation alone (Group A); or acupressure-relaxation modalities with acupuncture (Group B). The response to the study intervention for quality of life-related concerns will be re-assessed immediately; at 24-48 hours; and after 3 weeks following the treatment. Patients will also undergo objective measurements during treatment using Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to determine the impact of the intervention on their QoL and concerns.