Acupuncture Found to Reduce Pain, Need for Opioids After Surgery

Using acupuncture before and during surgery reduces the pain and the amount of medications needed by patients after the surgery is over, according to Duke University Medical Center anesthesiologists who combined data from 15 small randomized acupuncture clinical trials.
"While the amount of opioids needed for patients who received acupuncture was much lower than those who did not have acupuncture, the most important outcome for the patient is the reduction of the side effects associated with opioids," said Tong Joo Gan, M.D., a Duke anesthesiologist who presented the results of the analysis at the annual scientific conference of the American Society for Anesthesiology in San Francisco. "These side effects can negatively impact a patient's recovery from surgery and lengthen the time spent in the hospital."
Based on the results of this analysis, Gan recommends that acupuncture should be considered a viable option for pain control in surgery patients. Patients who received acupuncture had significantly lower risk of developing the most common side effects associated with opioid drugs compared with the control group: 1.5 times lower rates of nausea, 1.3 times fewer incidences of severe itching, 1.6 times fewer reports of dizziness, and 3.5 times fewer cases of urinary retention.
While opioids, a class of medications that act on the body similar to morphine, are effective in controlling pain, the side effects of opioid drugs often slow a patient's recovery from their surgery. “The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence that acupuncture can play an effective role in improving the quality of the surgical experience,” said Gan.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that acupuncture can be more effective than conventional medications in lessening the occurrence of post operative nausea and vomiting, the most common side effect experienced by patients after surgery.
"Acupuncture is slowly becoming more accepted by American physicians, but it is still underutilized," Gan said. "Studies like this, which show that there is a benefit to using it, should give physicians sitting on the fence the data they need to integrate acupuncture into their routine care of surgery patients."
While it is not completely known how acupuncture works, recent research points to its ability to stimulate the production of hormones known as endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers. In addition to effective pain management, acupuncture can increase energy, strength and vitality as well as enhance well being in recovering patients.
For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For information about acupuncture for health and wellness ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician. .