This research summary discusses an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Surgery which demonstrated that patients who use electrotherapy and acupuncture required less narcotic pain medicine (opioids). There is an epidemic in the United States of opiate abuse and any and all modalities that reduce pain after surgery are worth exploring. I routinely utilize cold therapy machines, local anesthetic injections around the knee, and nerve blocks after surgery. In addition, I believe that accupucture can help alleviate pain from many causes and therefore the fact that it can help after surgery is not surprising.
https://medicalresearch.com/pain-research/acupuncture-and-electrotherapy-following-knee-replacement-may-limit-opioid-use/36468/
