There have been a couple of other recent studies involving only auricular acupuncture. I would assume there is so much interest in auricular acupuncture because it is easy to administer. The most simple style of auricular acupuncture doesn’t require the many thousands of hours of in-depth training needed by an acupuncturist. Therefore even MDs with a few hundred hours of acupuncture training can properly administer an effective acupuncture treatment. It can be carried out in hospitals with minimal invasion by individuals not fully trained in acupuncture.
I’m not a fan of a cholecystectomy, or gall-bladder removal. I feel there are many steps that can be taken to save a gallbladder making surgery unnecessary. Certainly diet, acupuncture and herbs can all help avoid gallbladder surgeries. However if it is necessary there are certain side effects such as vomiting which shown in a recent study can be ameliorated with auricular acupuncture. In a study involving 100 female patients undergoing cholecystectomy, auricular acupuncture was associated with a significant reduction in post-operative vomiting 24 hours after undergoing surgery. None of the patients who received acupuncture experienced vomiting after surgery whereas two-thirds of the control (non-acupuncture) group experienced vomiting. Certainly this points to auricular acupuncture as a much more effective tool than the anti-emetic drugs given post-surgery.
In Health,
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist
Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist
Maynard, MA & Cambridge, MA