CLINICAL RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
FRIDAY, 5:45-6:30 PM
Goertz C, Niemtzow R, Burns S, Fritts M, Crawford C,
Jonas W.
Auricular acupuncture in the treatment of acute pain
syndromes: a pilot study.
Samueli Institute cgoertz@siib.org
Pain is a serious public health problem among both
military and civilian populations and a major cause of medical expenses,
absenteeism and disability. Standard interventions for acute pain can
cause unfavorable side effects; for example, narcotic analgesics adversely
affect physical and mental performance, and the safety and side-effects
of non-narcotic analgesics have recently come under scrutiny. Acupuncture
has been demonstrated to reduce pain and may provide an option for acute
pain in the emergency room (ER), but this has not been studied.
This pilot study used a randomized controlled clinical
trial design to compare the effects of standard emergency medical care
to auricular acupuncture plus standard emergency medical care in patients
with acute pain syndromes. We screened active duty male and female military
personnel and their dependents between the ages of 18 and 50 with acute
pain syndromes that did not require medical intervention beyond pain
management strategies; approximately 40% of eligible patients agreed
to participate. All participants in the study had access to emergency
medical care, including prescription medications and other appropriate
treatments, in the ER at Malcolm Grow Medical Center (Andrews Air Force
Base, Maryland). The research coordinator, outcome assessors and ER
staff were blinded to treatment group.
Eight-seven active duty military personnel and their
dependents with a diagnosis of acute pain completed the study. The primary
outcome measure was change in pain level from baseline, as measured
by the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Participants in the acupuncture
group experienced a 23% reduction in pain before leaving the ER, while
average pain levels in participants in the standard medical care group
remained basically unchanged. (P < .0005). However, both groups experienced
a similar reduction in pain 24 hours following treatment in the ER.
Our experience in this pilot study showed that placing
small needles in two easily-administered ear acupuncture points appeared
acceptable to patients and seemed to decrease pain levels during their
ER stay. Further research is needed to determine whether this minimally
invasive therapy is an effective adjunct to standard emergency care
for acute pain syndromes and to determine mechanisms of action. Since
this was a pilot study, a full-scale randomized trial using sham acupuncture
is an important next step. Future studies should evaluate longer-term
pain control, investigate relapse rate, and explore whether acupuncture
can be used as a substitute for prescription pain medications.
Back