[Progresses of studies on acupuncture analgesia for postoperative reaction]

A large number of clinical trials and animal experiments have been carried out to focus on neurochemical mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia including postoperation pain relief, which may provide guidance for developing a novel clinical approach for postoperative analgesia. In the present paper, the authors review new progresses of researches on acupuncture analgesia for postoperative pain and side effects in the past few years from thyroidectomy, chest surgery, abdominal surgery, five sense organs (ear, nose, eye and throat) surgery, and others. Regarding the mechanism of acupuncture, central neurotransmitters (including the endop endorphin, 5-HT, gamma-aminobutyric acid, etc.), immune cytokines, cytokines from the spinal glia cells are complicated in the process of acupuncture analgesia. A lot of findings of researches demonstrated that acupuncture therapy is effective in reducing postoperative pain and adverse reactions as nausea, vomiting, etc. As a common technique widely used in the field of clinical medicine, the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for relieving post-surgery pain and side-effects should be studied profoundly in the future.