PubMed · 2046579
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G Mendelson. 1991-06-03. Laser acupuncture.. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1991.tb121336.x
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OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the present review was to determine what pain-relieving effect had been reported for acupuncture and other conscious sedation methods in assisted reproduction therapy since 1990. The secondary objective was to determine pregnancy rates, when possible. METHODS: The data source was the Medline database of the National Library of Medicine covering the period January 1990-January 2004. Bibliographies of relevant publications and review articles were scanned. A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized, controlled trials comparing the pain-relieving effect of acupuncture and other conscious sedation methods was carried out. RESULTS: Of the 30 trials identified, 12 met the selection criteria for this systematic review and were included in the analysis. Five of the 12 studies reported differences in pain experiences during oocyte aspiration, but it was only possible to group the three trials evaluating the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA). The outcomes of these three studies were homogenous except from maximal and average pain. CONCLUSION: No method could be regarded as being superior to another, and no consensus on which method is optimal for pain relief during oocyte retrieval was found. Low doses of lignocaine can, however, be recommended in paracervical block (PCB) as well as EA without pre-medication. The clinical pregnancy rates appeared to be similar between the studies. Since pain experience varies from individual to individual, the optimal method of conscious sedation may also be individualized.
A systematic review of the literature on postherpetic neuralgia was performed. The authors identified studies using the National Library of Medicine's Medline database and Cochrane Library database. The authors determined absolute reduction rate, number needed to treat (NNT), 95% CI for NNT, and number needed to harm (NNH) for successful therapies of postherpetic neuralgia. Tricyclic antidepressants, gabapentin, pregabalin, opioids, and lidocaine patch were found to be effective in reducing the pain of postherpetic neuralgia.
Acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA) as complementary and alternative medicine have been accepted worldwide mainly for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Studies on the mechanisms of action have revealed that endogenous opioid peptides in the central nervous system play an essential role in mediating the analgesic effect of EA. Further studies have shown that different kinds of neuropeptides are released by EA with different frequencies. For example, EA of 2 Hz accelerates the release of enkephalin, beta-endorphin and endomorphin, while that of 100 Hz selectively increases the release of dynorphin. A combination of the two frequencies produces a simultaneous release of all four opioid peptides, resulting in a maximal therapeutic effect. This finding has been verified in clinical studies in patients with various kinds of chronic pain including low back pain and diabetic neuropathic pain.