The effects of acupuncture after thyroid surgery: A randomized, controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Surgical Recovery
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Acupuncture is recognized as a safe method for pain relief.
• Prior research indicates efficacy of acupuncture techniques for postoperative pain.
• Thyroid surgery presents a significant source of postoperative pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess acupuncture's effectiveness in alleviating pain post-thyroid surgery.
• To compare electroacupuncture (EA) and traditional acupuncture (TA) against standard care.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 121 patients undergoing thyroid surgery.
• Patients were assigned to standard analgesia (acetaminophen) or acupuncture (EA or TA) plus standard analgesia.
• Pain assessment included intraoperative remifentanil use, acetaminophen intake, Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and McGill Pain Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• The acupuncture group used less acetaminophen on postoperative days 2 and 3.
• Electroacupuncture (EA) patients required less remifentanil and acetaminophen.
• EA demonstrated a trend towards improved NRS and McGill scores compared to controls and TA patients.

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture, particularly EA, shows promise for managing thyroid surgery pain.
• EA offers superior pain reduction compared to traditional acupuncture (TA).
• TA did not yield significant pain relief benefits over standard care.