Acupuncture is one of the most popular forms of complementary medicine. Used by the Chinese for centuries, acupuncture involves inserting fine needles into the skin to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Now evidence has emerged that acupuncture is effective in stopping sickness and vomiting after laparoscopic surgery. This is the kind of surgery done using a fibre optic instrument to inspect the abdomen and organs.
Many people who undergo laparoscopic surgery suffer from nausea and vomiting after undergoing the general anaesthetic that’s administered before undergoing the operation.
Researchers, keen to test if the ancient remedy could be effective in heading off the post-op sickness, tested the acupuncture point on the wrist known as P6. This point has been used by the Chinese to treat sickness and nausea for more than 1,000 years.
Patients under laparoscopic surgery were given electro-acupuncture on the P6 point during the surgical procedure and the research confirmed the success of the needle treatment in reducing the severity and incidences of any post-op nausea.
Acupuncture has already been tested for its effectiveness in dealing with post-operative nausea and vomiting in other kinds of surgery. It is cheaper to administer than medication and has a greater success rate.
Over the 5,000 years of acupuncture use, Chinese healers have identified around 360 specific points on 14 meridians that are found just under the skin. Each point treats a different ailment and acupuncture works as a whole by inserting needles into the connecting points for the greatest effectiveness.