Evidence-Based Acupuncture in Anesthesia

Purpose of ReviewThis narrative review explores the use of acupuncture in pediatric patients in the acute perioperative period and chronic pain management. It provides a summary of the existing literature evaluating acupuncture for common perioperative concerns including preoperative anxiety, acute postoperative pain, and postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV) in addition to common conditions encountered in chronic pain syndromes including chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and generalized anxiety.Recent FindingsAcupuncture in adults is well studied while the pediatric literature is much more limited. Acupuncture is beneficial in the management of PONV and evidence is promising for its use in anxiety and pain management. There is a growing body of higher-quality studies evaluating acupuncture in adults and children.Acupuncture is a low-risk, well-tolerated therapy that can be used as a complement to traditional treatment plans. Possible benefits include symptom management, reduction of pharmacologic needs, and reduced unwanted risk or side effects of drug therapy.