[Acupuncture in posttonsillectomy pain : A prospective double-blind randomized controlled trial. German version].

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Integrative Medicine
• Surgical Recovery

Background:

• Postoperative swallowing pain is a significant challenge following tonsillectomy.
• There is a growing demand for non-pharmacological pain management alternatives.
• Research into non-drug pain therapies for post-tonsillectomy pain remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for post-tonsillectomy pain.
• To compare verum acupuncture, control acupuncture, and drug-based treatment in managing pain after tonsillectomy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 46 patients undergoing tonsillectomy.
• Patients received nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) plus either verum acupuncture, control acupuncture, or no acupuncture.
• Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) at multiple time points after treatment.

Main Results:

• Verum acupuncture demonstrated a significant analgesic effect lasting up to 3 hours (p < 0.05).
• Control acupuncture showed a significant effect for up to 1 hour (p < 0.05).
• Both acupuncture groups showed significant differences compared to the drug group over the entire observation period (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Acupuncture serves as an effective complementary treatment to NSAIDs for managing post-tonsillectomy pain.
• Patients experiencing allergies, drug intolerance, or reduced efficacy with conventional drugs may particularly benefit from acupuncture.