Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology
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J Neurosurg Anesthesiol · Jul 2017
Review Meta AnalysisEffects of Acupuncture in Anesthesia for Craniotomy: A Meta-Analysis.
Acupuncture treatment has been used in China for >2500 years, and at present it is used worldwide as a form of analgesia in patients with acute and chronic pain. Furthermore, acupuncture is regularly used not only as a single anesthetic technique but also as a supplement or in addition to general anesthesia (GA). ⋯ The analysis suggests that the complementary use of acupuncture for craniotomy has additional analgesic effects, reduces the needed amount of volatile anesthetic, reduces the onset of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and might have protective effects on brain tissue. Our findings may stimulate future randomized controlled trials to provide definitive recommendations.