Electro-acupuncture for chronic pelvic pain: two interesting cases

  • Anastasios Petrou Department of Anesthesiology and Postoperative Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Hellas
  • Petros Tzimas Department of Anesthesiology and Postoperative Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Hellas
  • Georgios Papadopoulos Department of Anesthesiology and Postoperative Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, 45110, Ioannina, Hellas
Keywords: Chronic pelvic pain, Electro-acupuncture, Adult

Abstract

 

Neuropathic pain is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain. Its resistance to treatment, often challenges patient’s cooperation to prolonged and sometimes interventional schemes and necessitates constant search for alternative or complementary interventions.

In this case series, one elderly male patient who presented with persistent chronic pelvic pain after multiple abdominal operations did not respond to conventional medical treatment and acupuncture and requested discontinuation of treatment. Electro-acupuncture was applied as a last resort therapy and proved very effective in reducing pelvic pain; it permitted significant reduction in anti-depressant medication doses. A second case study refers to a young female patient who developed chronic pelvic pain after giving birth to a child. Various treatments proved unsuccessful in alleviation her pain.  She eventually responded to electro-acupuncture at multiple trigger points in the abdominal wall.

 

Published
01-19-2019
How to Cite
Petrou, A., Tzimas, P., & Papadopoulos, G. (2019). Electro-acupuncture for chronic pelvic pain: two interesting cases. Anaesthesia, Pain & Intensive Care, 370-373. Retrieved from https://apicareonline.com/index.php/APIC/article/view/122
Section
Case Reports