The Role of Acupuncture in Reducing Pain Scale Scoring in Geriatric Patients with Acute Pain: A Literature Review

Krisma Perdana Harja, Arya Govinda Roosheroe, Christina L. Simadibrata, Dwi Rachma Helianthi

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Pain is one of the problems commonly found in geriatric population in the world, causing reduction in quality of life and functionality, and increasing socioeconomic burden. The geriatric population are vulnerable to inadequate analgesia, which increase the risk of forming chronic pain, frailty, depression and anxiety, and increased morbidity. Objective: To review several studies that explain the role of acupuncture in reducing pain scale scoring in geriatric patients with acute pain. Method: Literature searching of studies published between January 2011 to June 2020 was done on the Google Scholar and PubMed databases using the keywords "acupuncture,""manual acupuncture,""electroacupuncture,""laserpuncture,""laser acupuncture,""ear acupuncture,""battlefield acupuncture,""pain,"and "acute pain."Randomized controlled trials using pain scales as outcome measurement with the population sample having acute pain and using acupuncture modalities as its treatment were included. Non-English studies that cannot be accessed in full text and did not show number of sample, baseline characteristics, and outcome values, and studies with the mean age of the participants below 60 years were excluded. Result: Seven studies were found and analyzed. The pain scale scoring used included Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (n = 4), Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) (n = 1), McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) (n = 2), and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) (n = 2), with some studies using more than 1 scale. Conclusion: Acupuncture was found to reduce pain scale scoring of VAS, NRS, MPQ, and BPI significantly, whether statistically or clinically.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-114
Number of pages8
JournalMedical Acupuncture
Volume34
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Keywords

  • acupuncture
  • acute pain
  • geriatric patients
  • pain scale

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