Effect of acustimulation on nausea and vomiting and on hyperemesis in pregnancy: a systematic review of Western and Chinese literature

Van den Heuvel, E., Goossens, M., Vanderhaegen, H. et al. · BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies · 2016 January 13

Objective

The aim of this review was to investigate if there is any clinical evidence for the efficacy of acustimulation in the treatment of NVP or HG.

Conclusions

Although there is some evidence for an effect of acustimulation on nausea and vomiting or hyperemesis in pregnancy, results are not conclusive. Future clinical trials with a rigorous design and large sample sizes should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these interventions for NVP and HG.

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Insights

Acupoint stimulation shows promise in alleviating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

This review assesses acupoint stimulation techniques for treating nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Of 29 studies, 20 were included in quantitative analyses. Acupressure, acupuncture, auricular acupressure, and moxibustion were examined. While acupressure showed a 41% reduction in symptom severity, acupuncture had double the effect of control groups, and moxibustion improved symptoms by 65%. Continuous outcome measures did not show significant relief. Adverse events were minimal. The study calls for more rigorous trials, emphasizing the need for blinding and standardizing treatment protocols for conclusive results on acupoint stimulation's efficacy in NVP and HG.