Sometimes, mesothelioma patients seek out supplements or replacements for their traditional treatment plan. Alternative treatments provide means of relieving stress, coping with mental exhaustion, easing the side effects of traditional treatments, and helping the patient take an active role in their fight against disease.

Acupuncture is one of the most recognizable alternative treatment plans. It is based on the Chinese belief that a person's life force, or Chi, moves through the body the way blood flows through veins. If the Chi's path is interrupted, the whole body's health can deteriorate. The Chinese believe that the Chi is realigned by inserting tiny needles into the body at critical points of the life force path.

Though acupuncture is not a substitute for a pervasive treatment plan, it can help ease the discomforts of mesothelioma. The insertion of needles stimulates the release of endorphins, which act as natural pain relievers. Studies have also shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters, affecting sensory perception and involuntary body functions. The needles can help alleviate pain, shortness of breath, and bowel obstructions. Often, the procedure is especially helpful in easing pain after surgery or chemotherapy.

A common form of the treatment involves heating one end of the needle to transfer the heat into the body. This is known as moxibustion. There are hundreds of acupuncture clinics nationwide that offer this alternative treatment and different variations of acupuncture.