Effect of ear acupuncture plus injection at Zusanli (ST 36) on shoulder pain and cytokines after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of ear acupuncture plus injection at Zusanli (ST 36) in treating shoulder pain after laparoscopic gynecological surgery, and to observe its effect on cytokines. Methods Two hundred patients with shoulder pain after laparoscopic gynecological surgery were randomized into two groups based on their visiting sequence, 100 cases each. The observation group was intervened by ear acupuncture plus injection at Zusanli (ST 36), and the control group was intervened by oral administration of Ibuprofen, 10 d as a treatment course. The clinical efficacies of the two groups were compared after 2 treatment courses; the visual analogue scale (VAS), present pain intensity (PPI) and 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) were measured before and after the treatment; the changes of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 after the treatment were also observed. Results The VAS and PPI scores were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups (both P <0.01). After the treatment, the VAS score in the observation group was significantly different from that in the control group ( P <0.05). The component scores of SF-36 were significantly changed after the treatment in both groups ( P <0.01); after the treatment, the scores of physical functioning (PF), bodily pain (BP), social functioning (SF), and mental health (MH) in the observation group were significantly different from those in the control group (all P <0.05). The contents of IL-6 and IL-10 dropped significantly after the intervention in both groups (both P <0.01), and the between-group differences were also statistically significant (both P <0.01). The total effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group ( P <0.05). Conclusion Ear acupuncture plus injection at Zusanli (ST 36) can significantly improve the shoulder pain after laparoscopic gynecological surgery, down-regulate the expressions of IL-6 and IL-10, and boost the recovery.