Effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of postoperative pain A protocol for a systematic review of randomized controlled trial

Background: This aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of patients with postoperative pain (PPP). Methods: We will carry out a systematic review of the published literature and will comprehensively search Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to the present with no language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture with other interventions or sham acupuncture will be included. Two reviewers will independently conduct study selection, data collection, and study quality. A third reviewer will resolve any discrepancies. We will apply RevMan 5.3 software for statistical analysis. Results: The protocol of this study will systematically assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for patients with PPP. The primary outcome is postoperative pain intensity. The secondary outcomes comprise of: analgesic consumption, postoperative recovery parameters, vital signs, quality of life, and treatment related adverse events. Conclusion: This study will summarize the current evidence base for the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for patients with PPP.