Post-Surgical Acupuncture for Optimal Recovery
Can acupuncture speed healing after surgery? Can acupuncture reduce post-operative pain and nausea? Does the use of acupuncture reduce the need for pain medication like opiods after surgery? Can acupuncture help with the current opioid crisis? Read on for answers to these questions.
If you will be undergoing surgery in the near future, it would be worthwhile to schedule postoperative acupuncture treatment to reduce pain, speed healing, and prevent the complications of nausea and vomiting that may arise.
A meta-analysis published in 2016 showed that the use of acupuncture post-surgery resulted in less pain and lower usage of opioid analgesics on day one after surgery. The implications of these findings are significant given the devastating effects that opioid addiction can have on a person’s life.
Postoperative pain results from surgical trauma and is a significant challenge for healthcare providers. About 75% of patients experience moderate or severe pain following surgery. The standard treatment for postoperative pain is the use of opioid analgesics such morphine, hydromorphine, meperidine, or fentanyl. However, these drugs are associated with a number of undesirable side effects which can delay patient recovery including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sedation, and decreased gut motility.
A number of studies have shown that acupuncture causes the release of specific neuropeptides in the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in physiological effects and activating the body’s self-healing mechanism. Acupuncture analgesia affects the peripheral and central pain pathways. It stimulates the body to release its own opioids, including β-endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphins. Acupuncture has also been shown to cause the release of substances that block pain receptors, such as cholecystokinin (CCK) octapeptide, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and N-methl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA).
Another post-surgical complication for many people is nausea and vomiting, often treated with antiemetics that come with their own side effects. A meta-analysis published in the journal Laryngoscope in 2016 concluded that acupuncture after surgery significantly reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting.
Surgery is an incredible development of modern medicine that saves and transforms lives for the better. Using acupuncture to recover faster with fewer side effects and less need for pharmaceutical drugs is the perfect example of combining the best of modern medicine with an ancient healing practice. Schedule acupuncture for both before and after surgery to support your body for optimal healing and recovery.