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Mycyk MB, Seaman L, Yurasek F. Emergency Department Acupuncture Is a Promising Option That Deserves an Open Mind and Continued Rigor. Ann Emerg Med 2024:S0196-0644(24)00291-9. [PMID: 38888532 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark B Mycyk
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL.
| | - Lisa Seaman
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL
| | - Frank Yurasek
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL
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Eucker SA, Glass O, Knisely MR, O'Regan A, Gordee A, Li C, Klasson CL, TumSuden O, Pauley A, Chen HJ, Tupetz A, Staton CA, Kuchibhatla M, Chow SC. An Adaptive Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial of Emergency Department Acupuncture for Acute Musculoskeletal Pain Management. Ann Emerg Med 2024:S0196-0644(24)00161-6. [PMID: 38795078 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE Acute musculoskeletal pain in emergency department (ED) patients is frequently severe and challenging to treat with medications alone. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of adding ED acupuncture to treat acute episodes of musculoskeletal pain in the neck, back, and extremities. METHODS In this pragmatic 2-stage adaptive open-label randomized clinical trial, Stage 1 identified whether auricular acupuncture (AA; based on the battlefield acupuncture protocol) or peripheral acupuncture (PA; needles in head, neck, and extremities only), when added to usual care was more feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in the ED. Stage 2 assessed effectiveness of the selected acupuncture intervention(s) on pain reduction compared to usual care only (UC). Licensed acupuncturists delivered AA and PA. They saw and evaluated but did not deliver acupuncture to the UC group as an attention control. All participants received UC from blinded ED providers. Primary outcome was 1-hour change in 11-point pain numeric rating scale. RESULTS Stage 1 interim analysis found both acupuncture styles similar, so Stage 2 continued all 3 treatment arms. Among 236 participants randomized, demographics and baseline pain were comparable across groups. When compared to UC alone, reduction in pain was 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.7 to 2.6) points greater for AA+UC and 1.2 (95% CI: 0.3 to 2.1) points greater for PA+UC patients. Participants in both treatment arms reported high satisfaction with acupuncture. CONCLUSION ED acupuncture is feasible and acceptable and can reduce acute musculoskeletal pain better than UC alone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oliver Glass
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | - Amy O'Regan
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Alexander Gordee
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC; Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Methods Core, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Cindy Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | | | - Olivia TumSuden
- Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Alena Pauley
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Harrison J Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Anna Tupetz
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Catherine A Staton
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Maragatha Kuchibhatla
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC; Duke Aging Center, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Shein-Chung Chow
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC
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Elliott T, Merlano Gomez M, Morris D, Wilson C, Pilitsis JG. A scoping review of mechanisms of auricular acupuncture for treatment of pain. Postgrad Med 2024; 136:255-265. [PMID: 38501597 DOI: 10.1080/00325481.2024.2333232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Auricular acupuncture (AA) is becoming increasingly common in primary care clinics, emergency departments and peri-operatively for pain relief. Over the last decade, since the last comprehensive reviews were published, the literature has expanded. In this scoping review, we seek to document the efficacy of AA in treating both acute and chronic pain, describe the mechanism of action of AA in treating pain, and discuss how AA has been integrated into Western medicine to date. METHODS The authors performed a MEDLINE search inclusive of articles from 1966 to June 2023 including articles written in English identifying literature. We included human studies when more than 3 patients were included. Three hundred and fourteen unique articles were identified and 152 were selected by title screen. After abstract review, 117 were chosen for full-text review. Following full-text review, 33 articles were excluded and 21 added from references, totaling 105 articles included in our scoping review. RESULTS AA reduces pain severity in patients with both acute and chronic pain. The best studies in the acute settings have occurred in the peri-operative setting where sham AA is employed, multiple sessions of AA are given, and medication dosing is carefully monitored. In these cases, AA reduced pain and post-operative medications. In patients with chronic pain, multiple sessions of AA resulted not only in pain relief but also in improvements in function and disability. Literature suggests that AA works through multiple mechanisms with the most compelling data coupled to the autonomic nervous system and neuroendocrine system. Curriculums designed to teach AA and aid in implementation have been published. CONCLUSION AA is an accessible, effective means of pain relief. AA is relatively straightforward to learn, and protocols and curriculums exist to teach healthcare professionals this valuable skill. Overcoming implementation barriers, including patient education, are essential next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trish Elliott
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Maria Merlano Gomez
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Deborah Morris
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Candy Wilson
- Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Julie G Pilitsis
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Ackerman K, Atkins A, Robles A, Prince G, Seaman L, Yurasek F, Mycyk MB. Acupuncture is a feasible alternative to procedural sedation for shoulder reduction in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 74:196.e5-196.e7. [PMID: 37833202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Treating shoulder dislocations is common in the emergency department and often requires procedural sedation. The use of acupuncture for treatment of chronic pain has been shown to be successful in various outpatient settings, and some EDs have recently incorporated acupuncture as an analgesia adjunct for chronic painful conditions to avoid opioid therapy. Limited data describe acupuncture to facilitate ED procedures. Here we present two cases of acute shoulder dislocation that were successfully treated with acupuncture as an alternative to parenteral pharmacologic procedural sedation. A 50 year old male sustained an anterior shoulder dislocation after an altercation, and a 59 year old female sustained an anterior dislocation after a fall. Instead of using conventional pharmacologic sedation and analgesia during shoulder reduction, both were treated with acupuncture in the ED. Reduction in both cases was rapid, safe, and avoided use of any parenteral medications, procedural sedation monitoring, or prolonged nurse observation. Using acupuncture as alternative to opioids for ED procedures deserves future study for orthopedic and other common ED procedures.
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Motov SM, Vlasica K, Middlebrook I, LaPietra A. Pain management in the emergency department: a clinical review. Clin Exp Emerg Med 2022; 8:268-278. [PMID: 35000354 PMCID: PMC8743674 DOI: 10.15441/ceem.21.161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is one of the most common reasons for patients to visit the emergency department. The ever-growing research on emergency department analgesia has challenged the current practices with respect to the optimal analgesic regimen for acute musculoskeletal pain, safe and judicious opioid prescribing, appropriate utilization of non-opioid therapeutics, and non-pharmacological treatment modalities. This clinical review is set to provide evidence-based answers to these challenging questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey M Motov
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Vlasica
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Patterson, NJ, USA
| | - Igor Middlebrook
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Patterson, NJ, USA
| | - Alexis LaPietra
- Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Patterson, NJ, USA
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Tsai SL, Christie TD, Niemtzow RC. Battlefield acupuncture instead of opioids for abscess drainage in the pediatric emergency department. Am J Emerg Med 2021; 53:12-15. [PMID: 34968969 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Procedural analgesia with opioids is often needed during incision and drainage (I/D) of pilonidal or large abscesses in the pediatric emergency department (PED). In response to the ongoing opioid misuse pandemic, the Joint Commission has mandated that nonpharmacologic therapies be offered to patients for pain first. Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is an auricular acupuncture protocol that is drug free, can achieve rapid pain relief, and is used in the United States military. BFA for painful procedures in the PED has not been reported. We describe 4 cases where BFA was utilized in a PED for pain during I/D of abscesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu-Lin Tsai
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, 622 West 168th Street, VC 2-260, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Thomas D Christie
- Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Richard C Niemtzow
- United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762, USA
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