Can acupuncture reduce pain after surgery or nausea? In short, yes. Acupuncture can help to reduce post surgical pain and nausea. The Acupuncture Evidence Project lists both post surgery pain and post surgery nausea as two conditions with clear and positive benefits from acupuncture treatment. Thousands upon thousands of patients found acupuncture reduced their pain and nausea after surgery.

How long after surgery can you have acupuncture?

There is no universally accepted timeline for when it is safe to receive acupuncture following surgery. The appropriate timing is influenced by several factors, including the type of surgery, the associated risk of infection, and the collaboration between your acupuncturist and your surgeon.

Acupuncture may be beneficial "day one" post-surgery, as it can help alleviate pain, decrease reliance on pain medications, and enhance range of motion. It is essential to inform the surgeon about the acupuncturist's techniques and the specific areas where needles will be inserted, especially regarding their proximity to the surgical site. This communication is crucial in helping the surgeon establish a safe and effective timeline for your recovery with the inclusion of acupuncture.

When should you see an acupuncturist for pain?

Pain levels can continue for weeks to months after surgery. A recent study discovered that the intensity – 48 hours after surgery – is a more reliable way to predict how long it will take to have pain levels go away. For example, patients with pain levels at 50%, for the first forty-eight hours, eventually would have their intensity drop to 40% after seven days and 30% after 3 months. Unfortunately, this also demonstrates that pain levels can be quite high and persistent even after several months.

Acupuncture treatments are focused on stimulating circulation in order to help the body heal its own tissue. Consequently, it is no surprise that acupuncture would be helpful for post surgery conditions like pain and nausea. Acupuncture is focused on getting the body to heal quickly and as fully as possible. Given the clinical goals of acupuncture treatment, pain levels can be controlled or reduced for patients with post surgery pain whether you’ve had pain for weeks, months, or years. As a result, acupuncture can be utilized for any stage of pain after surgery.

Does acupuncture help with post surgical fatigue?

Lingering post procedural fatigue for days and weeks after surgery can be frustrating and overwhelming. The proposed mechanisms for lingering fatigue after surgery has to do with poor activity levels, nutritional status, muscle loss, and poor cardiac output. That is a pretty technical list, let’s simplify this into an example. Because of a long surgery the body will become depleted and tired. This will result in a lot of bed rest, low appetite, and muscle wasting, which then results in further lingering fatigue.

Acupuncture has a really positive effect on post surgery nausea and pain but it may not be the best option for post surgery fatigue depending on the clinical situation. A better beginning option for post surgery fatigue would be food therapy, exercise, and other forms of pain management (using caution due to fatigue). A Chinese herbal remedy or nutritional supplement would also be a better alternative therapy than acupuncture along with any rehabilitative exercises.

Supplement Recommendations for Post Surgical Pain

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