Two studies investigating the role that auriculotherapy (a form of acupuncture applied to points on the ear) may play as an alternative to opioids for the postoperative management of pain by Jacques E. Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA, and colleagues were recently featured in Anesthesiology News:
Auriculotherapy May Reduce Opioid Use After Rotator Cuff Surgery: Read article
From their randomized placebo-controlled study, the investigators reported that auriculotherapy, in conjunction with interscalene block, significantly reduced opioid consumption and pain with movement for at least 14 days after hospital discharge following shoulder surgery compared with interscalene block alone.
Auriculo-Nerve Stimulators a Potential Alternative To Opioids for Cancer Patients After Abdominal Surgery: Read article
The investigators found that use of an auricular percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulator device notably decreased opioid consumption compared with a placebo device in patients undergoing open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery for cancer. This novel complementary approach was much more effective in patients undergoing open surgery and in elderly patients.
Abstracts on both of these studies were selected as highlighted President’s Choice abstracts at the ASRA 47th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting on March 31-April 2, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.