Pain Relief During Cystoscopic Ureteral Stent Extraction by Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

If you have ever had a ureteral stent placed after kidney stone surgery or a urological procedure, you know that having it removed can be an uncomfortable experience. A new clinical trial published in the Journal of Pain Research explored whether a non-drug technique called transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) could help reduce that pain — and the results are encouraging.

TEAS works similarly to acupuncture but uses gentle electrical pulses applied to the skin at specific acupuncture points, rather than needles. In this study, 122 patients scheduled for cystoscopic stent removal were divided into three groups. One group received TEAS at the acupuncture points Hegu (LI4) and Neiguan (PC6) — points on the hand and wrist commonly used for pain relief. A second group received TEAS at Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Zusanli (ST36), located on the lower leg. A third group received a sham (fake) treatment as a comparison. The stimulation was applied for 30 minutes before the procedure.

Patients who received real TEAS reported significantly lower pain scores during stent removal and for at least 10 minutes afterward compared to those in the sham group. Importantly, the treatment did not cause any changes in heart rate or blood pressure, confirming it was safe. Only one patient — in the sham group — had to withdraw due to severe pain.

Researchers also noticed that the pain-relieving effect appeared to be stronger in female patients, though TEAS worked meaningfully across all ages and both sexes.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that acupuncture-based therapies can serve as a helpful, drug-free complement to conventional medical procedures, reducing discomfort without side effects.

If you are interested in exploring acupuncture or TEAS as part of your care, speak with a licensed acupuncturist or integrative medicine practitioner experienced in perioperative support.

This prospective, double-blinded RCT (n=122) evaluated transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as a non-pharmacological analgesic adjunct during cystoscopic ureteral stent extraction. Participants were randomized to TEAS at LI4/PC6 (n=37), TEAS at SP6/ST36 (n=38), or sham TEAS (n=47), administered 30 minutes pre-procedure. The primary endpoint — VAS score at stent removal (T2) — was significantly lower in both active TEAS groups versus sham (median 0.00 [IQR 0.00–2.50] vs. 0.00 [IQR 2.00–5.00]; p=0.027). Significant pain reduction also persisted at 10 minutes post-procedure (T3; p=0.012). No hemodynamic differences were observed. Repeated measures ANOVA identified a significant Time × Gender interaction (F=7.044, p=0.006), with more pronounced analgesic effect in female patients, though efficacy was maintained across all age groups. Neither acupoint combination demonstrated superiority over the other. Clinical takeaway: TEAS offers a safe, effective perioperative analgesic strategy for outpatient urological procedures, warranting integration consideration and further multicenter validation.