Use of acupuncture in pain

Abstract

Acupuncture is considered by WHO as a method of complementary treatment, introduced by the Ministry of Health through Ordinance GM No. 971 of May 3, 2006. Acupuncture comprises the interrelation of man and the environment through the theory of five elements and energies yin and yang. Its goal is to understand the factors that caused the individual to their energy imbalance and try to reestablish it. Pain refers to an unpleasant, sensory and emotional experience that has the purpose of protecting the body, which ends up compromising the quality of life. The use of acupuncture to treat pain occurs through stimulation in the body caused by needles, causing substances responsible for the sensation of well-being, such as endorphin and serotonin to be released, restoring the body's balance and functioning. The search for pain relief is one of the reasons for the growing number of research on acupuncture. This study aimed to gather data from the literature to understand and demonstrate the use of acupuncture in pain management. For this, we performed a literature review using data obtained from the literature available in PubMed, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. A table was prepared using 35 articles published between 1998 and 2016, which demonstrated the effect of acupuncture on pain. It was concluded that there is no standardization in the treatment of acupuncture for pain, but it has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and improving people's quality of life.