Professional paper

CONNECTION BETWEEN ACUPUNCTURE ANALGESIA IN CHRONIC PAIN WITH PAIN INTENSITY, BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE

IVAN OMRČEN ; Osijek University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
IVAN RADOŠ ; Osijek University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Osijek and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, School of Medicine, Osijek
KRISTINA KRALIK ; Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, School of Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
IVANA LUBINA ; Osijek University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Osijek, Croatia
IVANA HARŠANJI DRENJANČEVIĆ ; Osijek University Hospital Centre and School of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Medicine, Osijek and Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, School of Medicine, Osijek

Abstract

The aim of this study was to prove or disprove connection between acupuncture analgesia with the level of blood pressure and heart rate during implementation of acupuncture analgesia in patients with chronic pain. The secondary aim was to measure pain intensity during implementation of acupuncture analgesia. Patients with chronic pain receiving 10 acupuncture sessions with pharmacological analgesic therapy were included. The inclusion criteria were pain intensity due to chronic pain of at least 5 on the 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS) and patient age 18 to 65. Excluding criteria were age under 18 and over 65, unregulated arterial hypertension, heart rhythm disorders, signifi cant psychiatric comorbidity, pregnancy, allergy to acupuncture needles, anticoagulant therapy, and patients who refused to participate in monitoring and therefore did not sign the informed consent form. Pain intensity, blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated before and after acupuncture. The study included 64 patients, 11 (17%) male and 53 (83%) female. Wilcoxon test proved a signifi cantly lower pain intensity after acupuncture on the second (p=0.009), third (p=0.006), fourth (p=0.005) and seventh (p=0.013) measurement. Pain intensity on the VAS was signifi cantly higher on the initial measurement before acupuncture and after acupuncture (Friedman test, p<0.001). Systolic pressure was signifi cantly decreased on the fi rst two measurements
(Wilcoxon test, p=0.003 and p=0.014), and on the fourth (Wilcoxon test, p=0.036) and fi fth (Wilcoxon test, p=0.002) measurements after acupuncture. Diastolic blood pressure was signifi cantly lower on the fi fth (Wilcoxon test, p=0.030) and the last two measurements (Wilcoxon test, p=0.041 and p=0.003). The 6-10 measurements showed signifi cantly lower systolic (Friedman test, p<0.001) and diastolic (Friedman test, p=0.036) pressure before acupuncture in relation to systolic
and diastolic blood pressure on the fi rst fi ve measurements before acupuncture. The pressure values after acupuncture did not change signifi cantly during measurements. Heart rate before and after acupuncture did not change the measurements signifi cantly, but was signifi cantly lower after acupuncture on the fi rst eight measurements. This study demonstrated that the fi rst fi ve acupuncture sessions signifi cantly reduced pain intensity and blood pressure, thereafter aintaining the levels of pain intensity and blood pressure achieved (acupuncture sessions 6-10), which were lower compared to the fi rst five measurements (acupuncture sessions 1-5).

Keywords

acupuncture analgesia; heart rate; hypertension

Hrčak ID:

197726

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/197726

Publication date:

3.4.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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