title: Acupuncture for the Management of Postdural Puncture Headache: A Case Report.
abstract: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a recognized complication of neuraxial anesthesia. This case report documents 1 patient who developed PDPH following epidural anesthesia for postoperative pain control. The patient declined conventional treatments, including an epidural blood patch and intravenous caffeine. This report documents successful use of adjunct acupuncture for the management of PDPH. Additional research on acupuncture as a potential adjunctive therapy for PDPH is needed, particularly for patients who are reluctant to receive more invasive treatments.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine, Loma Linda University (Dr Chang), United States.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California San Francisco (Dr Acquah), United States.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acquah
authors.affiliation: Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California San Francisco (Dr Reddy), United States.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California San Francisco (Dr Chao), United States.
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chao
keywords: Acupuncture; headache; postdural puncture