Objectifying Acupuncture Effects by Lung Function and Numeric Rating Scale in Patients Undergoing Heart Surgery

Abstract

Rationale. Poststernotomy pain and impaired breathing are common clinical problems in early postoperative care following heart surgery. Insufficiently treated pain increases the risk of pulmonary complications. High-dose opioids are used for pain management, but they may cause side effects such as respiratory depression. Study Design. We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled, observer-blinded, three-armed clinical trial with 100 patients. Group 1 (n = 33) and Group 2 (n = 34) received one 20 min session of standardized acupuncture treatment with two different sets of acupoints. Group 3 (n = 33) served as standard analgesia control without additional intervention. Results. Primary endpoint analysis revealed a statistically significant analgesic effect for both acupuncture treatments. Group 1 showed a mean percentile pain reduction (PPR) of 18% (SD 19, P < 0.001). Group 2 yielded a mean PPR of 71% (SD 13, P < 0.001). In Group 1, acupuncture resulted in a mean forced vital capacity (FVC) increase of 30 cm3 (SD 73) without statistical significance (P = 0.303). In Group 2, posttreatment FVC showed a significant increase of 306 cm3 (SD 215, P < 0.001). Conclusion. Acupuncture revealed specific analgesic effects after sternotomy. Objective measurement of poststernotomy pain via lung function test was possible.

Use of acupuncture to alleviate side effects in radiation oncology: Current evidence and future directions

“… 1 , 4 , 6 , 7 In this analyses, not only patient-reported outcome measures showed improvement, but also standardized measures (eg, lung function in the study on postmastectomy pain). 6 As a comparator, sham acupuncture was implemented. In those arms, every patient also received an acupuncture treatment, but the needles were not inserted as deeply as in real acupuncture and the acupoints did not lay on the traditional given “pathways.”…”

“…Sham acupuncture control arms seem to be a valid comparator, and the Shanghai group has shown that this can work effectively in a prospective randomized trial 27 . Other groups have also supported this evidence, but not necessarily with cancer patients but with postmastectomy pain, sinusitis, or osteoarthritis 1, 4, 6, 7. In this analyses, not only patient-reported outcome measures showed improvement, but also standardized measures (eg, lung function in the study on postmastectomy pain) 6 .…”

“…Scientific investigation of the positive effect of acupuncture exist for some disease conditions, such as lower back pain, sinusitis, fatigue, and headache. 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 However, for acupuncture, the ideal comparator has not been found, which could be sham acupuncture or an acupuncture-free control arm, such as palliative or supportive care. Only a few studies have been conducted in the field of radiation oncology and are summarized in the present manuscript.…”

Randomized study exploring the combination of radiotherapy with two types of acupuncture treatment (ROSETTA): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…Depending on the treatment arm either verum or sham acupuncture will be applied [ 23 , 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 31 ]. Acupuncture will be performed after treatment bi-weekly during the first week of RT, thereafter weekly until the end of RT.…”

Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis Be Parameterized and Standardized? A Narrative Review

“…The previously mentioned studies show that acupoints’ diagnosis-dependent selection contributed to a higher analgesic effect. If acupoints are understood as reflex points that elicit specific neurovegetative changes, it can be speculated that they might only yield satisfactory treatment results if they match the current vegetative status of the patient [ 23 ]. In some cases, the variability between practitioners’ evaluations must be considered [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”