Ear Acupuncture and Knee Surgery
There is growing interest, particularly in Europe, about the use of acupuncture and acupressure in combination with conventional Western Medicine.
Researchers from Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald in Germany have reported the results of a study to see whether acupuncture would help 120 people undergoing surgery of the knee.
Their main measurement was the patients’ need for postoperative pain medication.
The patients were randomly received true auricular (ear) acupuncture at the main points that Chinese medicine says are important in treatment: the Lung, Shenmen and Knee points.
The control group had a sham procedure: they were “treated” at three non-acupuncture points on the outside of the ear: the auricular helix. The “real” and the “sham” treatments were given on the ear on the same side as the knee, before ambulatory knee arthroscopy. Permanent press needles were left in place for one day after surgery and post-operative pain was treated with ibuprofen. Pain intensity was similar in both groups at all time points, but those in the acupuncture group required significantly less post-operative ibuprofen than controls.
This fits with clinical experience and is a good first study.
Not only may this provide personal benefit for the patients, but if acupuncture can reduce post-operative costs, you can be sure that insurance companies are going to get very interested very quickly.
Dr. Richard G. Petty, MD is a world-renowned authority on the brain, and his revolutionary work on human energy systems has been acclaimed around the globe.
He is also an accredited specialist in internal and metabolic medicine, endocrinology, psychiatry, acupuncture and homeopathy. He has been an innovator and leader of the human potential movement for over thirty years and is also an active researcher, teacher, writer, professional speaker and broadcaster. He is the author of five books, including the groundbreaking and best selling CD series Healing, Meaning and Purpose. He has taught in over 45 countries and 48 states in the last ten years, but spends as much time as possible on his horse farm in Georgia.
