The Effect of Wrist Ankle Acupuncture on Post-Total Hip Arthroplasty Pain

Overview

Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most cost-effective orthopedic surgical procedures which can restore hip function and improve the patient's quality of life. However, total hip arthroplasty is significantly associated with postoperative pain. Pain after total hip arthroplasty surgery can adversely affect the patient's early postoperative recovery, postoperative mobility, and hinder rehabilitation. Wrist ankle acupuncture (WAA) is a simpler acupuncture technique, using fewer points, shallow needle insertion and lighter stimulation. Wrist-ankle acupuncture as multimodal analgesia after orthopedic surgery is useful for reducing pain and reduce the incidence of post-surgical side effects. The primary aim of this study is to investigate whether wrist ankle acupuncture therapy gives better and results for post total hip arthroplasty pain than sham wrist ankle acupuncture

This is a clinical trial study to evaluate and compare the effects of wrist ankle acupuncture and sham wrist ankle acupuncture as a therapy for post total hip arthroplasty pain. The subjects are 32 males/female who just undergone total hip arthroplasty surgery and has returned to inpatient ward. They will be randomly assigned to 2 groups: (1) wrist ankle acupuncture and (2) Sham wrist ankle acupuncture. The subjects will receive two sessions of treatment. The outcome will be assessed before treatment (baseline), after fist acupuncture session, after second acupuncture session and a day after the second session. Patients and the outcome assessors will be blinded to the group allocation.

Conditions