METHODS: This single-blind randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted between 23/8/2019 and 10/1/2020. Forty patients were recruited and randomised to either the control group (n = 20) or the experimental group (n = 20). Patients in the control group received
sham auricular acupuncture, while patients in the experimental group received
auricular acupuncture. A standard routine
analgesia was performed in both groups. The patients with NRS score≥4 were given rescue
analgesia.
Postoperative pain, use of
opioids and other
analgesics, postoperative recovery and patient's satisfaction were recorded.
RESULTS: The credibility and feasibility of
auricular acupuncture for
postoperative pain were high in both groups. After
auricular acupuncture, the scores of the postoperative movement-evoked
pain had a tendency to decrease, but no significant difference was observed between two groups at any time point (P = 0.234∼0.888). The data on
postoperative pain at rest confirmed that no significant difference was observed between two groups within 48 h of surgery (P = 0.134∼0.520), and the
postoperative pain at rest scores decreased over time; however, from the third day, the
pain at rest scores of the experimental group were decreased, and significant differences were observed between the two groups (P = 0.039∼0.047). As for use of rescue
analgesic, total
opioid consumption and the incidence of
postoperative nausea and vomiting, there were no significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.311, P = 0.101, P = 0.661) . In terms of patients' satisfaction, the score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, and a significant difference was observed between the two groups (P = 0.000). As for adverse events, two participants reported
pain and one patient reported discomfort at the insertion sites during the process of
auricular acupuncture intervention, but they both were minor and tolerable.
CONCLUSION:
Auricular acupuncture may have a relief effect on mild
postoperative pain at rest with
pain score below 3, suggesting that it may be a feasible adjuvant method to relieve mild
pain at rest. However, more multi-centre and large-sample studies are needed to verify this result.