Auricular Acupuncture for Symptom Management in Inpatient Palliative Care

Palliative care teams treat patients with intractable pain and debilitating symptoms on a daily basis. Nurses play a significant role in the assessment and intervention of patients with chronic pain, and the complicated constellation of symptoms with which they present are often quite challenging to manage. Complementary therapy with acupuncture has proven to be helpful, but to date, there is little research examining the efficacy of auricular acupuncture in treating the acute-on-chronic symptoms associated with life-limiting illness in hospitalized patients. This observational, nonrandomized, pragmatic study of 101 participants examined auricular acupuncture's impact on pain and symptom management, as well as pre- and post-intervention opioid utilization, when applied by volunteer physicians within an inpatient palliative care program. This study demonstrated statistical improvement in pain, nausea, dyspnea, and anxiety scores. Nurses and other providers trained in auricular acupuncture can provide a nonpharmacological intervention that improves pain and related symptoms for patients with serious illness.