Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Perioperative Acupuncture

Preoperative Use

Numerous studies using preoperative acupuncture, including ear points, show significant relaxation. In two double-blinded studies, preoperative auricular acupuncture reduced anxiety up to 48 hours compared with sham acupuncture. This reduction in anxiety correlates with less pain and analgesic consumption postoperatively. Acupuncture may complement the use of anxiolytics preoperatively.

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