Acupuncture has positive medical, economical and psychological effects for patients suffering from acute burns, according to clinicians working in the Czech Republic. They report retrospective data acquired over three decades from 1008 burn patients who were treated with acupuncture in a hospital surgery ward. The acupuncture points used most often were Lieque LU-7, Hegu L.I.-4, Quchi L.I.-11 and Zusanli ST-36. Usually only one or two needles were used at a time. Acupuncture treatment was observed to lead to analgesia with diminished pain intensity, a more rapid healing process and improvements in final wound healing, with a reduction in reddening, pigmentation and scarring. In addition, systemic reactions such as burn shock were reduced by acupuncture, as was wound infection. Patients treated with acupuncture also required fewer analgesics and sedatives. The best results were achieved when the first acupuncture treatment was applied as soon as possible after the burn injury (ideally immediately, and optimally within 48 hours). The authors also report that these benefits of acupuncture help prevent post-traumatic stress and reduce psychological trauma in burn patients, as well as saving costs by significantly reducing the duration of treatment.
The use of acupuncture in first aid of burns-Clinical report.
Burns. 2017 Aug 14. pii: S0305-4179(17)30281-4.
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