Feeling Anxious Before an Operation? Acupuncture Can Help.

Facing an upcoming operation or procedure can be anxiety-inducing. With so many questions, uncertainties and concerns, it’s common to be feeling scared, nervous or anxious. It’s also quite normal to feel stressed out or worried about what your recovery will be like.

How will you feel? Will there be pain? What will your limitations be?

While we, unfortunately, can’t be there to hold your hand, you may be surprised to know that acupuncture can help you to relax and recharge both before and after an operation.

Here’s how.

According to a study published by Cision entitled Acupuncture and Surgery: Relieve Anxiety Before and Reduce Discomfort After, Dr. Constance Chen (a plastic surgeon and breast specialist) explains, “Acupuncture can effectively reprogram the body to switch from the 'fight-or-flight' stress response to rest and relaxation.”

She adds, “The precise mechanism that causes this effect isn't known but it may be due to acupuncture increasing the body's production of endorphins, the natural hormones that counteract inflammation, pain, and stress.”

The study further explains that in some studies, “ perioperative acupuncture has been found to reduce stress and anxiety before surgery, reduce the need for opioids during surgery, and decrease both pain and post-operative nausea and vomiting after surgery.

Perhaps even more interesting?

According to the article, acupuncture performed DURING surgery, “in combination with conventional anesthesia can reduce the dose of opioids needed and provide a more comfortable post-operative experience than anesthesia alone.” And then after surgery, “Acupuncture can help alleviate pain and reduce the amount of medication needed to control it. Post-operative acupuncture may also promote the recovery of the immune system, bladder function, and the gastrointestinal tract.”

This is just even more evidence of the incredible healing powers of acupuncture. If you’re facing an upcoming surgery and would like pre or post-operative acupuncture, call our office or click here to book an appointment today!

Acupuncture To Help With Postoperative Recovery

It’s no secret that our country is currently facing an opioid epidemic, and among the most common ways opioid addictions begin is after being legally prescribed pain relief for painful conditions, as well as post-operative recovery.

While surgeries are undoubtedly painful and require rest and treatment to fully recover, more and more patients are turning to alternative therapies as opposed to filling pain killer prescriptions, or to at least lessen the amount of time they require them for.

Is it working?

HealthCMi reports the findings from a clinical trial performed by researchers out of the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The study followed the recovery of patients who received surgical treatment of intestinal cancer. These patients received both epidural morphine analgesia as well as acupuncture of the scalp  and showed improvement in both the visual analog scale scores as well as the Bruggman comfort scale scores.

The article states that gastrointestinal functioning was also improved in those who received scalp acupuncture, for both bowel recovery time as well as anal exhaust time, which were both significantly decreased by many hours.

In layman’s terms, this study found, “that scalp acupuncture combined with epidural morphine analgesia into an integrated treatment protocol is more effective than epidural morphine analgesia as a standalone therapy. The researchers conclude that scalp acupuncture is safe and effective for the relief of postoperative intestinal cancer pain.”

This doesn’t really come as a surprise to us, though, as it has long been known and studied that acupuncture can both improve pain as well as gastrointestinal issues. My promoting steady movement of Chi, unblocking energy and restoring balance to the body, acupuncture can help to restore many imbalances – and the body is often incredibly imbalanced after invasive surgery.

While it’s of course important to speak with your surgeon regarding post-operative pain protocols and acceptable therapies, it’s always a great idea to consider all options and be a well-informed patient.

You have a say in your recovery, and often times there are ways to avoid overexposure to opiods.