A study published online in the journal JAMA Surgery suggests that use of electrotherapy and acupuncture after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be associated with reduced and delayed opioid consumption.

 The research team conducted a meta-analysis of 39 randomized clinical trials covering 2,391 patients who were treated with nonpharmacological interventions for postoperative pain management following TKA. They found that the most common interventions included continuous passive motion, preoperative exercise, cryotherapy, electrotherapy, and acupuncture. Of those, the research team notes that moderate-certainty evidence demonstrated that electrotherapy was linked to reduced use of opioids, while acupuncture was associated with delayed opioid use. Additionally, the research team states that low-certainty evidence linked acupuncture to reduced pain. Learn more...