Intramuscular and Periosteal Acupuncture in Patients Suffering from Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain – a Controlled Trial

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ylva Hansson ◽  
Christer Carlsson ◽  
Elisabeth Olsson
Keyword(s):  
Pain Relief ◽  
Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Information Control ◽  
Pain Diary ◽  
Disability Rating

Background Periosteal acupuncture has shown promising results in clinical practice. The aim was to compare three patient groups: one with intramuscular acupuncture, one with periosteal acupuncture, and a third information control group, with respect to clinically relevant pain relief, physical functioning and intake of analgesics in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain in the neck or low back or both. We reported the psychological changes in these patients in a previous issue of this journal. Methods 144 consecutive patients with nociceptive pain for >3 months, aged 18–70 years were alternately allocated to: intramuscular acupuncture (n=59); periosteal acupuncture (n=55); or control group with information only (n=30). All patients were encouraged to stay active. Acupuncture was administered with eight treatments during five weeks, and two optional additional treatments after one month. Pain was estimated with a daily VAS in a pain diary and with an average weekly pain score. Clinically relevant pain relief was defined as at least a 30% decrease from the initial value. Physical functioning was evaluated with Disability Rating Index. All estimations were performed prior to treatment, one week after, and one, three and six months after treatment. Results There were no differences between the effects of the two acupuncture methods. There were differences between each of the two acupuncture groups compared with the control group on all test occasions up to one month after treatment with respect to the pain diary and one week after treatment with respect to pain last week (P<0.05). Pain relief as measured by a pain diary was obtained in 29 patients in the intramuscular acupuncture group, 25 in the periosteal acupuncture group, and 5 patients in the control group. Six months after treatment, 46% of the intramuscular acupuncture patients and 45% of the periosteal acupuncture patients had obtained pain relief in terms of the pain diary. The corresponding figure for pain last week was 29% in each group. Conclusion Periosteal pecking was no more effective than standard intramuscular acupuncture, but both were more effective than information only.

An Open-Label, Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Pituitary Radiosurgery for Patients With Opioid-Refractory Pain: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Neurosurgery ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Yves Borius ◽  
Stéphanie Ranque Garnier ◽  
Karine Baumstarck ◽  
Frédéric Castinetti ◽  
Anne Donnet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pain Relief ◽  
Cancer Pain ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Analgesic Efficacy ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Open Label

Abstract BACKGROUND Hypophysectomy performed by craniotomy or percutaneous techniques leads to complete pain relief in more than 70% to 80% of cases for opioid refractory cancer pain. Radiosurgery could be an interesting alternative approach to reduce complications. OBJECTIVE To assess the analgesic efficacy compared with standard of care is the primary goal. The secondary objectives are to assess ophthalmic and endocrine tolerance, drug consumption, quality of life, and mechanisms of analgesic action. METHODS The trial is multicenter, randomized, prospective, and open-label with 2 parallel groups. This concerns patients in palliative care suffering from nociceptive or mixed cancer pain, refractory to standard opioid therapy. Participants will be randomly assigned to the control group receiving standards of care for pain according to recommendations, or to the experimental group receiving a pituitary GammaKnife (Elekta, Stockholm, Sweden) radiosurgery (160 Gy delivered in pituitary gland) associated with standards of care. Evaluation assessments will be taken at baseline, day0, day4, day7, day14, day28, day45, month3, and month6. EXPECTED OUTCOMES We could expect pain improvement in 70% to 90% of cases at day4. In addition we will assess the safety of pituitary radiosurgery in a vulnerable population. The secondary endpoints could show decay of opioid consumption, good patient satisfaction, and improvement of the quality of life. DISCUSSION The design of this study is potentially the most appropriate to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of radiosurgery for this new indication. New recommendations could be obtained in order to improve pain relief and quality of life.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the efficacy of an internet-based pain education and exercise program for chronic musculoskeletal pain in comparison with online self-management booklet: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial with assessor-blinded, 12-month follow-up, and economic evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iuri Fioratti ◽  
Bruno T. Saragiotto ◽  
Felipe J. J. Reis ◽  
Gisela C. Miyamoto ◽  
Hopin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Self Management ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Pain Education ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Internet Based Intervention

Abstract Background Chronic musculoskeletal pain is one of the main causes of years lived with disability and generates the highest cost of health care among chronic pain conditions. Internet-based treatments have been shown to be an alternative for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, in addition to reducing barriers such as travel, high demands on the public health system, lack of time, lack of insurance coverage for private care, and high costs for long-term treatment. The aim of this clinical trial is to develop and test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of, an internet-based self-management program based on pain education and exercise for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods This is a prospectively registered, assessor-blinded, two-arm randomised controlled trial with economic evaluation comparing the Internet-based pain education and exercise intervention with a control group that will receive an online booklet. One hundred and sixty patients will be recruited from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Follow-ups will be conducted in post-treatment, 6 and 12 months after randomisation. The conduct of the study, as well as the evaluations and follow-ups will be carried out entirely remotely, through online platforms and telephone calls. The primary outcome will be pain intensity at post-treatment (8 weeks) measured using the 11-item Pain Numerical Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes will be biopsychosocial factors presents in the chronic musculoskeletal pain condition. Costs due to chronic musculoskeletal pain will be also measured, and cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective will performed. Discussion Our hypothesis is that internet-based pain education and exercise will be better than an online booklet in reducing pain and improving biopsychosocial outcomes in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. In addition, we believe that there will be good acceptance of patients for the internet-based intervention and that internet-based intervention will be more cost effective than the online booklet. Trial registration The study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04274439, registered 18 February 2020).

Effect of Acupuncture on Perception Threshold: A Randomised Controlled Trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-36
Author(s):  
Shuang Wu ◽  
Hidenori Yamaguchi ◽  
Koh Shibutani
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Foramen ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Perception Threshold ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objective To determine the current perception thresholds (CPTs) for arm and mental foramen areas to enable a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment. Methods Ninety-eight volunteers enrolled as participants and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: an acupuncture group (34 subjects); a sham acupuncture group (32 subjects) and a waiting group (32 subjects). CPTs for the arm and mental foramen areas were determined before and after acupuncture at LI4 Hegu of the left hand. A Neurometer CPT was used to evaluate the perception threshold at the homolateral mental foramen and arm. For further exploration, thresholds of homolateral and contralateral mental foramina were determined before and after acupuncture in a subgroup of 13 participants in the acupuncture group. Results Acupuncture at LI4 increased the perception thresholds of the left mental foramen in the acupuncture group significantly (p<0.01). The increases were significantly greater than in the control group for all frequencies, and significantly greater than sham acupuncture for 250 Hz and 5 Hz. In the subgroup, only the CPTs at 5 Hz increased significantly for the contralateral mental foramen. Conclusions Acupuncture at LI4 increases the perception threshold in the mandibular area, but not in the arm. This finding is probably related to the analgesic effect of acupuncture.

Efficacy of Electro-Acupuncture in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (06) ◽  
pp. 1167-1176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wipoo Kumnerddee ◽  
Nitsara Pattapong
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Plantar Fasciitis ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
End Of Treatment ◽  
Foot Function ◽  
And Control

The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of electro-acupuncture coupled with conventional treatments and compare it with the efficacy of conventional treatments alone in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. Thirty patients with chronic refractory plantar fasciitis were randomly assigned to two groups. Subjects in the control group received five weeks of conventional treatments, including stretching exercise, shoe modification and rescue analgesics. Subjects in the acupuncture group received the same treatments plus ten sessions of electro-acupuncture twice weekly. Endpoints included a success rate determined by a minimum of a 50% decrease in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Foot Function Index (FFI). At the end of treatment, VAS decreased significantly from 6.00 ± 1.69 to 1.89 ± 1.59 and from 6.27 ± 2.34 to 5.40 ± 2.26 in the acupuncture and control groups, respectively. FFI decreased significantly only in the acupuncture group (p < 0.05). Subjects in the acupuncture group obtained higher success rates than those in control group (80% and 13.3%, respectively). FFI in the acupuncture group was better than those in the control group (p < 0.001). At the sixth week follow-up, subjects in the acupuncture group showed a better FFI and success rate for pain during the day than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Electro-acupuncture coupled with conventional treatments provided a success rate of 80% in chronic planar fasciitis which was more effective than conventional treatments alone. The effects lasted for at least six weeks.

scholarly journals Acupuncture to Treat Primary Dysmenorrhea in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A. Smith ◽  
Caroline A. Crowther ◽  
Oswald Petrucco ◽  
Justin Beilby ◽  
Hannah Dent
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Treatment Effect ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Primary Dysmenorrhea ◽  
Menstrual Pain ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference

We examined the effectiveness of acupuncture to reduce the severity and intensity of primary dysmenorrhea. A randomized controlled trial compared acupuncture with control acupuncture using a placebo needle. Eligible women were aged 14–25 years with a diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea. Women received nine sessions of the study treatment over 3 months. The primary outcomes were menstrual pain intensity and duration, overall improvement in dysmenorrhea symptoms and reduced need for additional analgesia, measured at 3, 6 and 12 months from trial entry. A total of 92 women were randomly assigned to the intervention (acupuncture and control ). At 3 months although pain outcomes were lower for women in the acupuncture group compared with the control group, there was no significant difference between groups. Women receiving acupuncture reported a small reduction in mood changes compared with the control group, relative risk (RR) 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53–1.00, . Follow-up at 6 months found a significant reduction in the duration of menstrual pain in the acupuncture group compared with the control group, mean difference –9.6, 95% CI –18.9 to –0.3, , and the need for additional analgesia was significantly lower in the acupuncture group compared with the control group, RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49–0.96, , but the follow-up at 12 months found lack of treatment effect. To conclude, although acupuncture improved menstrual mood symptoms in women with primary dysmenorrhea during the treatment phase, the trend in the improvement of symptoms during the active phase of treatment, and at 6 and 12 months was non-significant, indicating that a small treatment effect from acupuncture on dysmenorrhea may exist. In the study, acupuncture was acceptable and safe, but further appropriately powered trials are needed before recommendations for clinical practice can be made.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF EXERCISE IN WATER ON THE MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN IN PREGNANT WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150003
Author(s):  
Masoumeh Rezaei Niaraki ◽  
Hamideh Pakniat ◽  
Ahad Alizadeh ◽  
Mohammad Ali Hosseini ◽  
Fatemeh Ranjkesh
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Water Exercise ◽  
Intervention Intensity ◽  
Exercise In Pregnancy ◽  
And Control

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders have been a major cause of disability in pregnant women. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of exercise in an aquatic environment on the musculoskeletal pain among pregnant women. Material and methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 54 pregnant women aged 20–35 years. The subjects were divided into the intervention group and control groups. Women who were in 20 to 26 weeks of gestation were included in the study. The intervention was Water Exercise in Pregnancy program conducted from week 20 to week 34. The control group received standard prenatal care. Musculoskeletal complications were assessed using the Nordic questionnaires at the baseline and, 4th and 8th week of pregnancy. The intensity of pain was assessed using a visual analog scale in the two groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS v.16. The lsmeans package was used to examine comparisons. Results: Results of the study showed that level of discomfort and musculoskeletal complications in the intervention group was significantly reduced during the 4th and 8th week of the study compared to the control group ([Formula: see text]). After the intervention, intensity of musculoskeletal pain in the intervention group showed a significant decrease compared to the control group ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion: Exercise in water during pregnancy can be effective to reduce musculoskeletal complications. Aquatic exercises should be developed in the exercise program for pregnant women with musculoskeletal pain.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document