It is well known that acupuncture has many uses for a multitude of health concerns, but it is rarely considered for use in emergent care situations. Countless studies have shown its effectiveness for treating acute and chronic pain, and it has even been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. A pilot study with six participants was conducted to look at the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating the pain and inflammation in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis.

A form of Japanese acupuncture known as Kiiko Matsumoto Style was used on all patients in the study. Subjective pain measures were evaluated immediately before and 20 minutes post-intervention. Three subjective measures were used and they consisted of the Face Pain Scale-Revised, colored analog scale, and visual analog scale. Inflammation was assessed using white blood cell count and C-reactive protein biomarkers. These biomarkers were drawn and recorded before the intervention, two minutes before the removal of needles, and 30 minutes after the needling.

This pilot study found that acupuncture treatment may be useful for decreasing pain in pediatric patients suffering from acute appendicitis. Results using white blood cell count data suggest it could also be useful in decreasing inflammation, although C-reactive protein findings were of the contrary.

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acm.2015.0024