The Effect of Cryo-auriculotherapy on Post-Operative Pain Management following Rotator Cuff Surgery: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

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Background In the context of the current opioid crisis, there is a growing interest in evaluating non-pharmacological solutions to manage post-operative pain. Evidence supports the concept that auriculotherapy may provide significant analgesia Objective Investigating the efficacy of cryo-auriculotherapy to reduce postoperative opioid consumption following a rotator cuff surgery. Settings Academic medical center, USA Methods This trial was registered to Clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT03860259 ). A total of 39 subjects undergoing rotator cuff surgery and randomized to receive either an active cryo-auriculotherapy treatment (Auriculotherapy; n=20) or a placebo treatment (placebo; n=19) were included in the analysis. For each cryo-auriculotherapy subject, the treatment was performed in the recovery room. The primary endpoint was overall opioid consumption (oral morphine equivalent = OME). Secondary endpoints included pain and overall non-narcotic analgesic consumption on postoperative day 5, patient satisfaction and function recovery using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), time to discharge from the recovery room and the hospital and patient satisfaction, as well as the number of subjects from each group readmitted because of pain-related issues. Results The use of cryo-auriculotherapy was associated with a 35% decrease in total opioid requirement over the first five-day recovery period and a 15% decrease in pain with movement. Pain with movement in the auriculotherapy group remained lower compared to the placebo group for at least 14 days (4.47 ± 2.12 vs 5.84 ± 2.39, respectively; p=0.0394). Conclusions Our data suggests that cryo-auriculotherapy represents an alternative to opioids in patients undergoing rotator-cuff surgery.