Since the first report on the success of acupuncture anesthesia in 1970s, much attention has been attracted to the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy worldwide. Analgesia is one of the most important effects of acupuncture. Generally, mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia contain mechanisms of acupuncture anesthesia, but the latter does not represent the entirety of acupuncture analgesia. This is because acupuncture not only treats acute or transient pain, but also chronic or persistent pain resulted from inflammations or other causes. Clinically, the pain usually occurs prior to acupuncture, either needling or moxibustion can be used for treatment. For acupuncture anesthesia, an induction period of acupuncture is required prior to the surgery and only needling or acupressure may be applied. In addition, the surgical pain pertains to the category of acute pain. However, most modern studies on mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia are conducted focusing on the mechanisms of acupuncture anesthesia. In the following discussion, we will first outlook those studies on acupuncture anesthesia, then provide a complementary explanation on mechanisms of clinical acupuncture analgesia, and finally analyze their implications in improving results of clinical analgesia. Primarily, mechanisms of acupuncture anesthesia or analgesia include two closely associated aspects: neural and humoral mechanisms [27].
1.1. Neural mechanisms
Effect upon arrival of qi, literally meaning pain is eliminated instantly when needling sensations are acquired after needle-insertion, is a familiar clinical fact when acupuncture is used for kinds of pain. Of course, such quick responses are not resulted from changes of humoral factors. There were similar successes duri...
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...ure anesthesia, auricular needling is often used. By stimulating sensory receptors at auricular points, signals inputted into the body are transmitted through the trigeminal lemniscuses instead of the spinal cord. There were studies demonstrated anterior and posterior portions of the nucleus of spinal tract of trigeminal nerve had similar feedback effects to the gate system in the posterior horn of spinal cord, which could be used to modulate transmissions of pain impulses. This might be able to explain why auricular acupuncture has analgesia effects on surgical or painful irritation on the head and face. However, anesthesia effects of auricular acupuncture during thoracic and abdominal surgeries cannot be explained by any hypotheses about the gate control occurring at either posterior horns of the spinal cord or the nucleus of spinal tract of trigeminal nerve [27].
It has been shown that intrathecal administriton of GABA receptor antagonists cause hyperalgesia and allodynia. Constitutive, the increase in the endogenous GABA activity in the spinal cord alleviate pain resulting from noxious and innoxious mechanical and thermal stimuli. Different GABA receptors have different roles in alleviating thermal and mechanical pain in different animal pain models. There is no study to date that has examined the involvement of GABA A and GABA B in sensory dimension of neuropathic pain resulting from compression of spinal cord. The current study tests the hypothesis that GABA A or GABA B receptors contributes to the allodynia and hyperalgesia observed after spinal cord injury. The results showed that the effect of GABA A and GABA B receptors on mechanical hyperalgesia is similar but these receptors have different effects on thermal hyperalgesia. While using baclofen as GABA B receptor agonist does not affect the thermal pain, thermal hyperalgesia resulting from spinal cord injury was greatly alleviated by different doses of GABA A agonist, muscimol. Both Baclofen and muscimol are able to reduce the mechanical and cold allodynia has been seen after spinal cord injury but the effect of baclofen is dose dependent with no effect in higher doses used in this study. While almost all doses of muscimol were used in this study reduce the amount of cold and mechanical allodynia. The other result obtained in this study is the short term effect of GABA agonist. The anitinociceptive effect of Baclofen and muscimol appear to be maxium at 15 min after injection and gradually diminished by time and their analgesic effect disappeared 3 hours after injection.
The most common and well described pain transmission is “gate control theory of pain”. This theory was first proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 whereby they used the analogy of gate to explain the inhibition of pain which exists within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. For instance, when tissue damage occurs, substances such as prostaglandin, serotonin, histamine and bradykinin are released from the injured cell. Individual usually consume or apply pain medications such as NSAIDs whereby these medications will cause electrical nerve impulse at the end of the sensory nerve fiber via nociceptor. Nociceptor is a pain receptor that is commonly found in the skin, cornea of eye and organ of motion such as muscles and ligaments. These nerve impulses
Have you ever wondered why when you stub your toe on the chair in the living room, it helps tremendously to yell out an expletive or two and vigorously rub the area? I may not be able to discuss the basis for such language in this paper, but we will explore the analgesic response to rubbing that toe, in addition to the mechanism of pain and alternative treatments such as acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure on a joint where an examination and treatment is performed with an arthroscope, which is inserted into the joint through a small incision, about 4 mm (1/8 inch) long. A special fluid is used to visualize the joint parts. More incisions might be implemented in order to check other surgical sites. Then other miniature instruments are used and the surgery is performed. Arthroscopic procedures can be performed to evaluate or treat many orthopaedic conditions including torn cartilage, ACL reconstruction. Unlike other endoscopy, arthroscopy must be done in an operating room. It is technically possible to do an arthroscopic examination of almost every joint, but is most commonly used for the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, foot, and hip.
Auricular acupuncture has a variety of uses, some with more documented success than others. Auricular acupuncture is an alternative medicine with some documented success in treating anxiety, insomnia, smoking, drug addictions and obesity. Not all studies have generated conclusive positive results and more research is needed to accurately evaluate the efficacy of the procedure in treating multiple ailments. Acupuncture is an ancient medicinal practice that originated in China. The name comes from the Latin acus, or “needle”, and from pungere, or “prick,” and involves the insertion of superfine needles into specific points on the body. Once inserted, the needles can be manipulated to stimulate the body for healing effects. Auricular acupuncture is acupuncture performed on the ear. The treatment of auricular acupuncture is preformed on the ear using stimulators such as different types of needles, staple-punctures, probes, magnetic beads, fingers, or harmless electrical impulses. The most common is method is inserting needles. For auricular acupuncture, there are different type of needles that can be used such as a regular half or whole inch needle, press needles, and interdermal needles. Press and interdermal needles are pressed into an acupuncture point and tape is used to keep them in place, as well as give constant stimulation. The ear is thought to contain an innumerable amount of important and potentially therapeutic acupuncture points. This is why it is believed that by using these types of stimulators on acupuncture points in the ear, problems and/or dysfunctions will be revealed throughout the body. (Suen 135)
There are three claims for why acupuncture is effective: reflexes, hormones, and energy transfer. When the needle is inserted into the skin, the nerves send signals that travel up the spinal cord, into the brain, and block the pain center in the brain. This prevents pain and other signals from entering and exiting the brain and severity of the symptoms is suppressed. This allows the body to heal itself while the individual is unaware of any pain or other distress (http://www.acupuncture.com/Acup/Works.htm).
Public Health Reports (Interagency Team at NIMH and NIDA Studies How Acupuncture Works.) (1974-) , Vol. 95, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 1980), pp. 503-504
Have you ever wondered why you have no feeling during surgery? The reasoning behind this is a doctor called an anesthesiologist. For those who are wondering who they are and what they do, anesthesiologists are doctors who, after completing many years of school and training, work many hours to make sure patients feel no pain during surgery, and earn a good salary along with good benefits.
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine involving the insertion of super fine needles superficially into the skin to correct the energy flow in the body. Many people believe this practice is painful, while others see it as a waste of time, or useless. Testimonials prove this to be false, but those who have not tried the practice are skeptical. The long history of acupuncture has lead to many misconceptions about the process. There are many benefits to acupuncture that can be shown through an understanding of its process.
...l position in the womb" (4). Altogether, acupuncture has withstood the test of time; not necessarily the test of criticism. The procedure seems to work sometimes, and so it has not been falsified. It seems very beautiful, ancient and creative, and so it is left alone as a non-conventional medical alternative. But there should be more studies done on the subject, especially to prevent people from depending on it because of a desire to be all-natural. This is not reason enough to abandon centuries of experience and of scientists getting it "less wrong". Acupuncture is a possible treatment – but not a perfect one.
This essay will aim to look at the main principles of cancer pain management on an acute medical ward in a hospital setting. My rational for choosing to look at this is to expend my knowledge of the chosen area. Within this pieces of work I will look to include physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of pain management.
Phantom pain refers to the phenomenal experience of pain in a body part that has been amputated or deafferented (Flor, Nikolajsen & Jensen, 2006). The characteristics of phantom pain have been described to occur in quick and sudden attacks of pain shooting up and down the amputated limb as well as cases of constant, excruciating pain whilst intensely perceiving the amputated limb to be cramped or postured abnormally (Katz, 1992). Approximately eighty percent of amputees report suffering from or at least experiencing some level of phantom pain post amputation; therefore it is a prominent issue (Flor, Nikolajsen & Jensen, 2006). Phantom pain is neuropathic pain that has no individual trigger but instead a plethora of psychobiological aspects of neuroplasticity that contribute to the cause of phantom pain (Grusser, Diers & Flor, 2003). The following will: outline the role of the peripheral and central factors associated with phantom pain and discuss the cortical reorganisation of the somatosensory cortex in relation to phantom pain.
I chose a career as a medical assistant because of the rewards I knew I would experience on a daily basis. Seeing a patient smile because I have helped them understand, or just making them feel comfortable with their visit, is just one of the many perks of my job. Upon graduating from an accredited college such as The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP), I now work for one of the most reputable hospitals in my area. Within two short years of committed studies, I obtained my associate of applied science degree, and then went on to obtain my certification as a medical assistant. There is nothing I have found more fulfilling, strong, secure, or rewarding then choosing to become a medical assistant,
Transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) forms one of the procedures that have been proposed by various medical providers as an effective method for reducing pain in labor (Mello et al., 2011). In most cases, the application and use of transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) tools involves the emission of low voltage electrical impulse and can vary in frequency as well as intensity. During labor, the transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) electrodes are specifically piled on the lower back in order to reduce pain and other complications (Bedwell et al., 2011). When placed at the lower back, it stimulates various parts of the body including the acupuncture points and helps in pain reduction during labor periods. Consequently, it should be noted
The role of the nurse in the preoperative area is to determine the patient’s psychological status to help with the use of coping during the surgery process. Determine physiologic factors directly or indirectly related to the surgical procedure that may cause operative risk factors. Establish baseline data for comparison in the intraoperative and postoperative period. Participate in the identification and documentation of the surgical site and or side of body on which the procedure is to be performed. Identify prescription drugs, over the counter, and herbal supplements that are taken by the patient that may interact and affect the surgical outcome. Document the results of all preoperative laboratory and diagnostic tests in the patient’s record