Electroacupuncture added to patient-controlled intravenous pain relief reduced pain and opioid use after cesarean delivery, regardless of stimulation frequency.
This single-center randomized, single-blinded, sham-controlled trial enrolled women receiving fentanyl through patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after cesarean delivery. Participants were assigned to low-frequency electroacupuncture, mixed-frequency electroacupuncture, or sham treatment at non-acupuncture sites, with four sessions delivered during the first two postoperative days. Researchers assessed analgesic pump use, pain, fentanyl consumption, inflammatory markers, and time to return of bowel function.
Both electroacupuncture approaches reduced requests for additional analgesia, pain scores, and fentanyl consumption compared with sham treatment throughout the postoperative period. The findings indicate that electroacupuncture enhanced opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia after cesarean delivery, while neither stimulation frequency showed a clear advantage over the other.
