Acupuncture, particularly electro-acupuncture, may alleviate post-hemorrhoidectomy pain at certain stages, but overall effectiveness remains inconclusive.
The study conducted a systematic review to assess acupuncture's effect on pain experienced post-hemorrhoidectomy. To compile the required data, the researchers closely searched through nine databases, such as PubMed and Embase, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) home in on information concerning pain level after the surgery, the dosage of rescue analgesic medication used, patients' quality of life, and details about adverse events. Extracted data was analyzed narratively.
The systematic review included four RCTs that encompassed a total of 275 patients. One observed study demonstrated that patients who underwent electro-acupuncture recorded significantly lower pain scores on the visual analog scale post-surgery and during their first defecation compared to those in the sham acupuncture group. Similar trends appeared on the verbal rating scale and Wong-Baker Faces scale but at varying time points. Another study displayed that electro-acupuncture was successful in relieving pain during defecation, up to a week following surgery, more so than local anesthetics. However, two trials that compared manual acupuncture with active medications for post-hemorrhoidectomy pain demonstrated inconsistent results.
