Breast cancer patients benefit from acupuncture for fatigue reduction, according to a new study.

"I am quite excited with these results. They provide some good evidence of an effect of acupuncture for the management of a very debilitating and burdensome symptom for patients," said Alex Molassiotis, lead author of the study from University of Manchester, in England, to HealthDay.

The study involved 302 patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Of these, 75 patients were provided with standard care and the rest received acupuncture plus standard care.

At the end of the study, researchers found that people who had received acupuncture plus usual care reported less pain, both physical and mental, less anxiety and stress than people who got only usual care.

"Acupuncture is a complementary therapy that not only can have direct effects on the symptom experience of patients, but also ... provide the opportunity [for] patients to be more involved with their symptom management and empower them more. Patients also like 'natural' and 'traditional' approaches to health management," said Molassiotis.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A recent study had found that acupuncture reduces pain and nausea in people who are receiving chemotherapy for cancer.