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Alternative and complementary postoperative pain strategies

Alternative medicine is often used by patients, although the frequency of its use in the postoperative setting is unknown.1  The following table is a summary of commonly used alternative therapies.  The data review is not meant to be exhaustive, however provides a summary of higher quality or most quoted articles related to each type of intervention.  From a logistical standpoint, alternative therapies are not typically covered by insurance or reimbursed, and while some interventions are simple and inexpensive, others (massage, acupuncture) require a larger input of time and resources.

(table)

References:

  1. Eisenberg, D. M. et al. Trends in Alternative Medicine Use in the United States, 1990-1997: Results of a Follow-up National Survey. JAMA 280, 1569–1575 (1998).
  2. Christoffersen, M. W., Olsen, B. H., Rosenberg, J. & Bisgaard, T. Randomized Clinical Trial on the postoperative use of an abdominal binder after laparoscopic umbilical and epigastric hernia repair. Hernia 19, 147–153 (2015).
  3. Rothman, J. P., Gunnarsson, U. & Bisgaard, T. Abdominal binders may reduce pain and improve physical function after major abdominal surgery – a systematic review. Dan. Med. J. 61, A4941 (2014).
  4. Sun, Y., Gan, T. J., Dubose, J. W. & Habib, A. S. Acupuncture and related techniques for postoperative pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. BJA Br. J. Anaesth. 101, 151–160 (2008).
  5. Kotani, N. et al. Preoperative Intradermal Acupuncture Reduces Postoperative Pain, Nausea and Vomiting, Analgesic Requirement, and Sympathoadrenal Responses. Anesthesiol. J. Am. Soc. Anesthesiol. 95, 349–356 (2001).
  6. Watkins, A. A. et al. Ice Packs Reduce Postoperative Midline Incision Pain and Narcotic Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Am. Coll. Surg. 219, 511–517 (2014).
  7. Habib, A. S. et al. Lidocaine Patch for Postoperative Analgesia After Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy. Anesth. Analg. 108, 1950 (2009).
  8. Bai, Y., Miller, T., Tan, M., Law, L. S.-C. & Gan, T. J. Lidocaine patch for acute pain management: a meta-analysis of prospective controlled trials. Curr. Med. Res. Opin. 31, 575–581 (2015).
  9. Mitchinson, A. R. et al. Acute Postoperative Pain Management Using Massage as an Adjuvant Therapy: A Randomized Trial. Arch. Surg. 142, 1158–1167 (2007).
  10. vanderVaart, S. et al. The effect of distant reiki on pain in women after elective Caesarean section: a double-blinded randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 1, e000021 (2011).
  11. vanderVaart, S., Gijsen, V. M. G. J., de Wildt, S. N. & Koren, G. A Systematic Review of the Therapeutic Effects of Reiki. J. Altern. Complement. Med. 15, 1157–1169 (2009).
  12. Good, M. et al. Relief of postoperative pain with jaw relaxation, music and their combination. Pain 81, 163–172 (1999).
  13. Roykulcharoen, V. & Good, M. Systematic relaxation to relieve postoperative pain. J. Adv. Nurs. 48, 140–148 (2004).
  14. Gonzales, E. A. et al. Effects of guided imagery on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing same-day surgical procedures: a randomized, single-blind study. AANA J. 78, 181–188 (2010).