Acupuncture is a safe and effective alternative for pain
relief for children after having surgery to remove their tonsils, according to
a study published in International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.
Codeine, an opioid pain medication, has been prescribed for
children for pain relief after having their tonsils removed. However, the Food
& Drug Administration, in the United State, banned the used in this setting
in 2013 due to recognized risk complications.
Dr. Ochi, a San Diego paediatric ear, nose and throat
surgeon conducted a novel study using acupuncture instead of codeine for pain relief
for his tonsillectomy patients. Thirty one patients ranging from 2 to 17 years
were recruited and received acupuncture treatment after tonsillectomy for
postoperative pain. Prior to acupuncture intervention, patients or their
parents reported a mean pain level of 5.52 out of 10, this pain level dropped
to 1.92 of 10, a statistically significant difference, following a 15 minutes
of acupuncture treatment. The duration of benefit from the acupuncture was
estimated last about 61 hours. No adverse effect was observed following
acupuncture treatment.
The study showed acupuncture decreased perceived postoperative
pain in children and suggested that it is a safe and effective therapy.
Reference:
Ochi JW, Acupuncture instead of codeine for
tonsillectomy pain in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013
Dec;77(12):2058-62. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24210291
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