Table 4.
Characteristics of RCTs examining integrative acupoint stimulation included in the meta-analysis.
| First author, year, setting | Study design | Participants (n), age (years) | Surgery type | APS type | Intervention | Follow-up | Main outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Sham/control group | |||||||
| Chung, 2014, Taiwan [24] | Single-blind, sham-controlled study, three groups | Enrolled = 135 Completed = 127 Intervention group: 40, 60.25 (13.42) Sham group: 42, 59.79 (12.61) Control group: 45, 54.24 (14.63) |
Lumbar spinal surgery | AA + EA | TF4, AH10, CW8, AT5, CO4; BL40 and GB34 acupoints Duration: AA: ten 15 min sessions (1 and 3 h after returning to ward, four each on postoperative days 1 and 2) TAES: 20 min 1 and 3 h after returning to ward |
Sham group: sham acupressure and sham TAES Control group: no acupoint stimulation |
NR | VAS, morphine consumption, morphine-related side effects |
|
| ||||||||
| Dias, 2010, Brazil [73] | Single-blind RCT | Randomized = 33 Completed = 33 Intervention group: 16, 47 (14) Control group: 17, 43.1 (10) |
Inguinal hernia repair | EA | Acupoints on limbs and ear (heart and Shen Men) Duration: 5 min at 3 Hz in continuous mode, increased incrementally to 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 160, and finally 240 Hz after 30 min |
Sham TENS at same sites | 2 weeks | Anesthetics requirement, VAS, HR, BP, edema, adverse events |
|
| ||||||||
| Pfister, 2010, USA [74] | Prospective, open-label RCT | Randomized = 70 Completed = 58 Intervention group: 28, 61 Control group: 30, 57 |
Neck dissection | Manual acupuncture | LI4, SP6, GV20, Luo Zhen, and auricular Shen Men acupoints Duration: 30 min once a week for 4 weeks |
Usual care | NR | NRS, medication use, adverse events |
|
| ||||||||
| Deng, 2008, USA [75] | Randomized, sham-controlled, subject-blinded trial | Randomized = 162 Completed = 106 Intervention group: 52, 65 Sham group: 54, 63 |
Thoracotomy | Manual acupuncture | BL12–BL19, Wei Guan Xia Shu, ST36, and bilateral auricular Shen Men acupoints Duration: 4 weeks |
Dummy studs placed in back | 3 months postoperatively | BPI, medication use, MQS, NRS |
|
| ||||||||
| Mehling, 2007, USA [76] | RCT | Randomized = 138 Completed = 138 Intervention group: 93, 55.9 (1.9) Control group: 45, 59.2 (1.7) |
Cancer-related surgery | Massage + EA | Acupressure-type foot massage, large intestine 4, spleen 6, and auricular acupoints Duration: 10–30 min massage, depending on participants' clinical needs and conditions; 20 min acupuncture |
Usual care, offered 30 min massage | NR | NRS, nausea, vomiting, POMS-SF, health care cost |
|
| ||||||||
| Tavares, 2007, Brazil [77] | RCT | Randomized = 24, 20.42 (1.44) Completed = 24 Intervention group: 12 Control group: 12 |
Mandibular third molar surgery | EA | IG4, F3, E44, VB39, TA21, B60, Shen Men, and ponto total acupoints Duration: needles rotation every 10 min at beginning of procedure, after 10 min of treatment, and at end of procedure |
No acupoint stimulation | NR | VAS, analgesic dose |
|
| ||||||||
| Ekblom, 1991, Sweden [78] | RCT | Randomized = 110 Completed = 110 PRE-ACU group: 25 POST-ACU group: 25 Age, groups 1 and 2: 29.9 (18–50) Control group: 60, 30.2 (18–55) |
Mandibular third molar extraction | Manual acupuncture | ST6, ST7, S119, and LI4 acupoints ipsilateral to extraction site; SJ5 contralateral Duration: 20 min |
No acupuncture | 1 week postoperatively | VAS, tension and stress, analgesic consumption, wound healing |
RCT, randomized controlled trial; APS, acupoint stimulation; AA, auricular acupuncture; EA, electroacupuncture; TAES, transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation; NR, not reported; VAS, visual analog scale; TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; BP, blood pressure; HR, heart rate; NRS, numerical rating scale; BPI, Brief Pain Inventory; MQS, Medication Quantification Scale; POMS-SF, Mood States Short Form; PRE-ACU, preoperative acupuncture; POST-ACU, postoperative acupuncture.