Electroacupuncture as an Adjuvant Approach to Rehabilitation during Postacute Phase after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Abstract

Background. Increasing attention has been paid to electroacupuncture (EA) for promoting postoperative rehabilitation, but the effectiveness of EA for rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains obscure. Objective. To examine the effect of EA on rehabilitation after TKA. Methods. Database searches on PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were carried out to obtain articles, from inception to 15 October 2020. All identified articles were screened, and data from each included study were extracted independently by two investigators. Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of acupuncture on pain, range of knee motion, and postoperative vomiting after TKA. Results. In the current study, a total of ten randomized clinical trials were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Compared to basic treatment, EA combined with basic treatment showed a significantly greater pain reduction on 3, 7, and 14 days postoperatively after TKA. However, we found that EA had no significant improvement in enhancing the range of knee motion and decreasing the percentage of vomiting. Subgroup analysis suggested that a combination of EA and rehabilitation training was superior to rehabilitation training in pain relief, while EA combined with celecoxib capsules showed no significant difference in improving pain compared to celecoxib capsules alone. Conclusions. In the postacute phase after TKA, EA, as a supplementary treatment, could reduce postoperative pain, but no evidence supported the benefits of EA for improving ROM of knee and decreasing the ratio of vomiting. Additional high-quality and large-scale RCTs are warranted.

Effects of contralateral versus ipsilateral electroacupuncture for analgesia and rehabilitation after unilateral total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial

“…14,15 A meta-analysis previously demonstrated that postoperative pain after TKA was reduced with the use of EA. 16 Contralateral acupuncture, also known as opposing needling or healthy side acupuncture, originally described in the Huangdi Neijing, was one of the nine needling methods described in ancient China. 17,18 In this acupuncture method, to avoid infection near the incision after TKA, traditional acupuncture point locations on the healthy side are selected for treatment.…”

Electroacupuncture for postoperative pain in mixed hemorrhoids: A meta-analysis

“…[12,13] Electroacupuncture has shown good effects in many postoperative analgesic fields, such as pain after thoracotomy, abdominal pain after intestinal obstruction, pain after total hip replacement, pain after joint replacement, et cetera. [14][15][16][17][18] This meta-analysis will investigate the efficacy of electroacupuncture for postoperative pain in mixed hemorrhoids.…”