LI4 and SP6 Acupuncture for Pain After Cesarean Delivery

This randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial will evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture at bilateral LI4 and SP6 as an adjunct to standard postoperative analgesia for acute pain after cesarean delivery. Women undergoing cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia will be randomly assigned to receive either real acupuncture at bilateral LI4 and SP6 or sham acupuncture using non-penetrating Park sham needles. The acupuncture or sham intervention will be administered at the third postoperative hour. All participants will receive a standardized postoperative analgesic regimen, with additional rescue analgesia available when clinically required. The primary outcome will be pain intensity during first postoperative ambulation at the sixth postoperative hour, measured using a 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes will include pain at rest and during movement at predefined postoperative time points, functional performance during first mobilization, rescue analgesic requirements, and acupuncture-related adverse events. Participant blinding will also be assessed after completion of the 24-hour outcome assessments.