Opioid prescribing remains an all-too-common reality in the United States and elsewhere despite increasing national and international guidelines emphasizing their dangers and promoting drug-free pain-relief, including acupuncture, as a first option. But for patients taking opioids, acupuncture also can help, relieving one of the common side effects associated with their use – particularly in cases of cancer pain.
A new meta-analysis by C. Han and colleagues evaluating five randomized, controlled trials (656 total study participants) on acupuncture (with or without medication) in patients with opioid-induced constipation found acupuncture is highly effective, with an overall remission rate of 86.8 percent in the acupuncture groups compared to 78.9 percent remission in control groups. Symptom scores based on defecation frequency and straining, abdominal pain, defecation time and stool characteristics were also lower than control groups. Quality-of-life assessment scores also improved for patients receiving acupuncture to a greater extent than control-group patients.
Of the five studies, four utilized acupuncture delivered via electrical methods: interferential current stimulation (IFC), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and electroacupuncture; the fifth utilized traditional acupuncture. Three of the five studies incorporated the acupuncture intervention alone, while two incorporated acupuncture and a co-intervention (oral lactulose in one and a gel pad containing a Chinese herb in the other).
"Acupuncture is an effective therapeutic strategy for the clinical management of opioid-induced constipation and enhances the effects of commonly prescribed drugs," concluded the study authors in their paper, published in Clinical Epidemiology this year.
Source
Han C, et al. Acupuncture relieves opioid-induced constipation in clinical cancer therapy – a meta-analysis and systematic review. Clin Epidemiol, 2021;13:907-919.
Because traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views the human body as an interconnected network of energy (qi) and seeks to restore balance and harmony, ensuring the smooth flow of qi and blood is crucial to nourish and regulate the reproductive system. TCM treatment aims to regulate menstruation, reduce anovulatory menstruation, help ovulation, improve egg quality, stabilize progesterone, and provide a good endometrium environment for successful implantation and pregnancy.
U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) have reintroduced the Acupuncture for Our Seniors Act (nowH.R. 1667) in the 119th Congress. As with previous iterations of the legislation, H.R. 1667 would authorizethe U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to recognize qualified acupuncturists as Medicare providers. The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) both weigh in on the importance of the legislation.
What’s the single most important thing to ensure your patient gets better? The key is patient education and scheduling appropriately. But how do you do that in a clinically relevant way that is representative of a medical professional? The answer lies in the most fundamental aspect of our intakes: OPQRST(L).
