Related Experiment Videos
Acupuncture analgesia during surgery: a systematic review
1Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of East-West Medical Science, KyungHee University, Yongin, South Korea Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Exeter EX2 4NT, UK Department of Meridianology, College of Oriental Medicine, SangJi University, Wonju, South Korea.
Pain
|March 22, 2005
Summary
This systematic review found inconclusive evidence for acupuncture as an adjunctive analgesic during surgery. Real acupuncture showed no significant difference compared to placebo acupuncture.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Background:
- Acupuncture is explored as a complementary therapy for pain management.
- Its role alongside standard anesthesia in surgical settings requires rigorous evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive analgesic in surgery.
- To determine if acupuncture reduces the need for other analgesics (analgesic-sparing effect).
Main Methods:
- Conducted systematic searches of seven electronic databases for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) on acupuncture during surgery.
- Assessed methodological quality and validity of included studies.
- Classified evidence into four levels: strong, moderate, limited, or inconclusive.
Main Results:
- Nineteen RCTs were identified; seven suggested acupuncture efficacy.
- Of nine high-quality RCTs, only two showed positive outcomes.
- Evidence for acupuncture's superiority over no adjunct is inconclusive.
- Strong evidence indicates real acupuncture is not significantly different from placebo acupuncture.
Conclusions:
- The current evidence does not support using acupuncture as an adjunct to standard anesthetic procedures during surgery.
- Evidence regarding an analgesic-sparing effect of acupuncture remains inconclusive.