Berger Amnon A, Liu Yao, Jin Kevin, Kaneb Alicia, Welschmeyer Alexandra, Cornett Elyse M, Kaye Alan David, Imani Farnad, Khademi Seyed-Hosein, Varrassi Giustino, Viswanath Omar, Urits Ivan
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine, Shreveport, LA, USA.
Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Mar 17;11(2):e113027. doi: 10.5812/aapm.113027. eCollection 2021 Apr.
Abdominal pain is a widespread complaint and is one of the common reasons leading patients to seek medical care, either in emergency situations or with their primary providers. While acute abdominal pain is a better defined, usually surgical condition, chronic abdominal pain requires longer, typically lifelong, therapy. Chronic abdominal pain may also present with acute flares and complications. Here we review seminal and novel evidence discussing the use of acupuncture in the treatment of abdominal pain, indications, and conditions that may benefit from this approach.
Chronic abdominal pain is a common complaint causing significant morbidity and disability and has a hefty price tag attached. Recent studies show it may be prevalent in as much as 25% of the adult population. It is defined as three episodes of severe abdominal pain over the course of three months. Chronic abdominal pain could be the result of chronicity of acute pain or of chronic pain syndromes, most commonly IBD syndromes and IBS. While a plethora of treatments exists for both conditions, these treatments usually fall short of complete symptom control, and there is a need for complementary measures to curb disability and increase the quality of life in these patients. Acupuncture is a form of integrative medicine that has long been used in Chinese and traditional medicine, based on the rebalancing of the patient's Qi, or Ying/Yang balance. It has been shown to be effective in treating several other conditions, and novel evidence may expand its use into other fields as well. Clinical trials studying acupuncture in chronic pain conditions have been promising, and recent evidence supports the use of abdominal pain in chronic abdominal pain conditions as well. Though not curative, acupuncture is a complementary approach that helps reduce symptoms and improved quality of life.
Chronic abdominal pain is a widespread condition, mostly affected by the IBS and IBD spectrum. Etiologies are still being studied for these conditions, and while novel treatment approaches are absolute game changers for these patients, many continue to experience some level of symptoms and disability. Acupuncture may provide further alleviation of these symptoms in select patients, thus improving quality of life, reducing disability, and saving healthcare dollars. It is a largely safe and inexpensive method that may significantly contribute to the quality of life of selected patients.
腹痛是一种普遍的主诉，是导致患者在紧急情况下或就诊于初级医疗服务提供者时寻求医疗护理的常见原因之一。虽然急性腹痛是一种定义更明确、通常需要手术治疗的病症，但慢性腹痛需要更长时间、通常是终身的治疗。慢性腹痛也可能伴有急性发作和并发症。在此，我们回顾关于针刺疗法治疗腹痛的开创性和新证据、适应症以及可能从这种方法中获益的病症。
慢性腹痛是一种常见的主诉，会导致严重的发病率和残疾，且代价高昂。最近的研究表明，它在多达25%的成年人口中可能很普遍。它被定义为在三个月内出现三次严重腹痛发作。慢性腹痛可能是急性疼痛慢性化的结果，也可能是慢性疼痛综合征导致的，最常见的是炎症性肠病（IBD）综合征和肠易激综合征（IBS）。虽然针对这两种病症有大量治疗方法，但这些治疗通常无法完全控制症状，需要采取补充措施来减少残疾并提高这些患者的生活质量。针刺疗法是一种整合医学形式，长期以来在中国和传统医学中使用，基于平衡患者的气或阴阳平衡。已证明它在治疗其他几种病症方面有效，新证据可能会将其应用扩展到其他领域。研究针刺疗法治疗慢性疼痛病症的临床试验前景良好，最近的证据也支持将其用于慢性腹痛病症。虽然针刺疗法不能治愈，但它是一种有助于减轻症状和改善生活质量的补充方法。
慢性腹痛是一种普遍存在的病症，主要受IBS和IBD谱系影响。这些病症的病因仍在研究中。虽然新的治疗方法对这些患者来说绝对是改变局面的因素，但许多患者仍会经历一定程度的症状和残疾。针刺疗法可能会在部分患者中进一步缓解这些症状，从而提高生活质量、减少残疾并节省医疗费用。它是一种基本安全且廉价的方法，可能会显著提高特定患者的生活质量。
