Narrative Review of Perioperative Acupuncture for Clinicians

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of the natural healing arts. The exact mechanisms of action are unknown at this time; however, current theories to explain the benefits experienced after acupuncture include Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine concepts. Acupuncture may improve the quality of perioperative care and reduce associated complications. Perioperative acupuncture is apparently effective in reducing preoperative anxiety, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and postoperative pain. The Pericardium-6 (P-6; Nei Guan), Yintang (Extra 1), and Shenmen acupuncture points are the most studied and effective acupuncture points in reducing preoperative anxiety, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and postoperative pain experiences. Intraoperatively administered acupuncture may reduce immunosuppression in patients and lessen intraoperative anesthetic requirements, although the clinical usefulness of acupuncture in the intraoperative period remains inconclusive. Perioperative acupuncture is a promising intervention, but additional studies are needed to further understand and define acupuncture's role throughout the perioperative period and determine its clinical usefulness. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief clinical review concerning acupuncture and its application for common issues that occur in the perioperative period.