Laser Acupuncture for Postoperative Pain Management in Cats.

Virgínia I Marques,Rafael C Guilhen,Felipe F Nascimento,Giulliane C Crociolli,Rafaela C P Tavares,Renata N Cassu,Gabriel M Nicácio

doi:10.1155/2015/653270

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate laser acupuncture as an adjuvant for postoperative pain management in cats. Twenty cats, undergoing ovariohysterectomy, were sedated with intramuscular (IM) ketamine (5 mg kg−1), midazolam (0.5 mg kg−1), and tramadol (2 mg kg−1). Prior to induction of anaesthesia, the subjects were randomly distributed into two groups of 10 cats: Laser: bilateral stomach 36 and spleen 6 acupoints were stimulated with infrared laser; Control: no acupuncture was applied. Anaesthesia was induced using intravenous propofol (4 mg kg−1) and maintained with isoflurane. Postoperative analgesia was evaluated by a blinded assessor for 24 h following extubation using the Dynamic Interactive Visual Analogue Scale and Multidimensional Composite Pain Scale. Rescue analgesia was provided with IM tramadol (2 mg kg−1), and the pain scores were reassessed 30 min after the rescue intervention. If the analgesia remained insufficient, meloxicam (0.2 mg kg−1 IM, single dose) was administered. Data were analyzed using t-tests, the Mann-Whitney test, and the Friedman test (P < 0.05). The pain scores did not differ between groups. However, postoperative supplemental analgesia was required by significantly more cats in the Control (5/10) compared with the Laser group (1/10) (P = 0.038). Laser acupuncture reduced postoperative analgesic requirements in cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy.

Highlights

In recent decades, several studies have investigated the use of acupuncture for analgesic purposes and reported its effectiveness for the relief of both acute and chronic pain [1,2,3,4,5].Traditionally, acupuncture is based on the philosophy of energy balance, so that any alteration, block, or stagnation in the flow of energy circulating through the body can promote the development of disease or pain [6]
The pain scores were higher than the corresponding baseline values in the first 4 h after extubation in both treatment groups
This study showed that cats which received laser acupuncture had a significantly lower incidence of rescue medication than the Control group, suggesting a superior level of analgesia when acupuncture was administered preoperatively

Summary

Introduction

Acupuncture is based on the philosophy of energy balance, so that any alteration, block, or stagnation in the flow of energy circulating through the body can promote the development of disease or pain [6]. From the point of view of traditional oriental medicine, pain is due to the stagnation of energy (Qi) and/or blood (Xue) flow along the meridians. Stimulation of the acupuncture points can be triggered through electrical stimulation [1,2,3], radiation (infrared laser) [5], and heat (moxibustion) [7]. In rats subjected to experimental models of inflammation and pain, manual stimulation (needling) was as effective as laser stimulation at the same acupoint, resulting in an increased nociceptive threshold and reduced inflammation [11]

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