SynthesisCanadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie2026
Effects of acupoint stimulation for postoperative analgesia after Cesarean delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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5 authors.
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Abstract
purposeAcupoint stimulation is used for pain management, but its effectiveness for postoperative pain after Cesarean delivery remains inconclusive. In this systematic review, we sought to assess its impact on acute pain after elective Cesarean delivery.
methodsAs part of our systematic review, we conducted searches in PubMed®, Embase®, Web of Science™, Scopus, the Cochrane database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Airiti Library up to January 2025. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating acupoint stimulation to relieve postoperative pain after Cesarean delivery. Effect sizes were estimated using a random-effects model as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2.0 tool. Certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.
resultsAfter screening 2,911 studies, 18 RCTs (2,183 parturients) were included. Compared with sham stimulation, acupoint stimulation lowered pain scores within 6 hr (MD, -0.24; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.03), 6-12 hr (MD, -0.65; 95% CI, -1.09 to -0.20), 12-24 hr (MD, -0.58; 95% CI, -0.93 to -0.23), and 24-48 hr (MD, -0.44; 95% CI, -0.88 to -0.01). Compared with control, acupoint stimulation lowered pain scores within 6 hr (MD, -0.33; 95% CI, -0.52 to -0.15), 6-12 hr (MD, -0.30; 95% CI, -0.43 to -0.17), 12-24 hr (MD, -0.53; 95% CI, -0.79 to -0.28), and 24-48 hr (MD, -0.24; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.03). Certainty of evidence was rated moderate to high.
conclusionsAcupoint stimulation appears to provide small magnitudes of pain reduction after Cesarean delivery compared with both standard care and sham interventions. Acupoint stimulation may be an effective supplementary treatment for postoperative pain after Cesarean delivery. Further research is needed to define optimal timing, duration, and techniques. STUDY REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ( CRD42024558510 ); first submitted 15 June 2024.
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