Acupoint Needle-Embedding Combined with Ironing Therapy for Postoperative Pain After Anal Surgery

Acupoint needle-embedding combined with ironing therapy is commonly used in clinics, but this operation process is not standardized, and may carry risks relating to this procedure. This technique effectively reduces pain levels at different stages after the hemorrhoid surgery. This technique reduces postoperative pain of hemorrhoid patients, and improves the patient's life quality after surgery.

Begin with the patient assessment, evaluating their skin condition. After inspecting all equipment, ensuring the validity of consumables, and that the press needles are not damaged, perform operator disinfection with hand sanitizer using the seven step hand washing method. Disinfect the acupoint needle embedding site using a iodophor four cotton swab, spiraling outwards from the center, allowing the disinfectant to remain for about one minute.

Ensure the disinfected area is larger than three centimeters in diameter. To embed the needles, begin by selecting three acupoints including EX-UE2, BL-57 and SP-6. Using sterilized tweezers, grip the press needle's edge.

Position the needle over a chosen acupoint, and firmly press its tail with the right thumb within one second. Once the needle is inserted, gently rotate it 20 to 25 times clockwise at 40 to 50 times per minute, followed by counterclockwise rotations at the same speed. Secure the needle at the acupoint with tape.

Apply up and down floating pressure on the needle tail. To remove the needles, carefully remove the tape after disinfecting hands. Then gently separate the needle base from the skin using tweezers.

Once detached, gently pull out the needle using the tweezers. Upon completion, disinfect the affected skin with an iodophor cotton swab. Apply pressure with a sterile cotton swab if bleeding occurs.

Following the procedure, execute the seven step hand washing method for disinfection. If the needle's broken end is flat or slightly depressed, squeeze the skin downward with the left thumb and index finger to expose the needle, then remove it using tweezers. To begin ironing, start by disinfecting the operation site.

Focus on the CV-29, ST-25, and DU-1 operation sites. Now crush the drug at room temperature and humidity of 40 to 70%using a pulverizer. After pulverization, pack 130 grams of the drug into a gauze bag, and soak it in water until fully saturated.

Heat the gauze bag for two minutes in a microwave oven at 90 to 110 degrees Celsius, then cool it to 40 to 45 degrees Celsius before wrapping the medicated gauze bag securely with a treatment towel. Place both hands on the sides of the gauze bag, then straighten your elbows, leaning forward to apply gentle pressure. When the abdomen sinks by three to five centimeters, hold for five seconds, allowing heat to penetrate the skin, then slowly release.

Next, massage with the medicine bag, circling clockwise 60 times and counterclockwise 60 times, each rotation lasting one to two seconds. After the operation, cover the treated area, keeping it warm. Reuse the medicinal bag up to four times.

To manage burns limited below a deep partial degree, promptly rinse the affected area with flowing cold water for 30 minutes. Disinfect the damaged spot with iodophor swabs. Cover it with gauze, and secure it with medical tape.

Apply antibiotic ointment if the area is large. Patients treated with acupoint needle embedding combined with ironing had relatively lower VAS scores after the first defecation. Patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine were in less pain on the fifth day post-surgery and on the discharge day compared to the control group.

The treatment group showed greater decrease in VAS scores between the first to fifth day post-surgery. A rigorous procedure ensures the effectiveness of the treatment while eliminating most complications. When the treatment is ineffective, or central allergesic can be applied.

Our goal is to relieve the patient's medical pain after the anal surgery. This protocol lies the foundation for the scientific study of the traditional ethnomedicine. It provides a standardized operation technique for the subsequent in-depth research.