Auricular Acupuncture for Acute Pain

September 4, 2007 updated by: Samueli Institute for Information Biology

Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Acute Pain Syndromes (AATAPS) Pilot

  • Auricular Acupuncture in the Treatment of Acute Pain Syndromes (AATAPS)
  • Study Period: August 1, 2003 - December 31, 2004

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Although inroads in the study of acupuncture for acute pain conditions have been made, there are still critical gaps in the literature in both basic/mechanistic and clinical areas. Very little is know about what impact conservative, easily transportable and administered treatments, such as acupuncture, might have in preserving military battlefield readiness. The proposed research proposal is an incremental step with the ultimate goal to increase the knowledge base and expand clinical applications of acupuncture for acute pain conditions that are relevant to military personnel and operations.The purpose of this proposal is to conduct a scientifically rigorous investigation of auricular acupuncture for the treatment of acute pain in the emergency room setting at a military hospital using a two phase clinical trial design. This pragmatic investigation will provide a unique opportunity to develop clinically relevant questions that can be further evaluated in the context of basic science and more robust clinical trial designs. The specific aims of this study are to 1) Determine the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial of auricular acupuncture in the treatment of military personnel with acute pain who present to the emergency room at Andrews Air Force Base, using a pilot two phase clinical trial approach and 2) Gather data on the effect size of auricular acupuncture in treating acute pain conditions. Persons presenting to the emergency room at Malcolm Grow with acute pain syndromes that do not require medical attention beyond pain management strategies will be invited to participate in the study and asked for informed consent. The study will involve a preliminary pilot test period during which 20 persons are entered into a consecutive case series study to test the feasibility of collecting data and implementing the treatment procedures in the busy emergency room setting. Treatment will involve auricular acupuncture using SEDATELEC Aiguille Semi-Permanent (ASP) needles bilaterally at two acupuncture points - Cingulate Gyrus and Thalamic Nuclei. Baseline demographic and pain indicator information will be collected prior to treatment. Follow-up data on pain levels and medication use will occur prior to leaving the ER and 24 hours following treatment. The primary endpoint is change in pain levels at 24 hours, as measured by the verbal Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). 24 hour follow-up will occur via the telephone. Following successful completion of the preliminary study, a two arm, randomized clinical pilot trial of 100 participants (N = 50 per arm) will be conducted using the same protocol as the case series study. Patients will be randomized to either usual emergency medical care or acupuncture + medical co-management. Follow-up data will be collected on the schedule outlined above by assessors blinded to treatment assignment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Andrews AFB, Maryland, United States, 20762
        • Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews Air Force Base

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of acute pain syndrome
  • Written Informed Consent
  • Over the age of 18

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unwilling or unable to participate in study treatment and follow-up
  • Require medical intervention other than pain management
  • Pregnant or nursing
  • Unable to give informed consent for any reason
  • Extreme pain
  • Allergic reaction to adhesive tape, gold or other components of the acupuncture needles
  • Admitted to the hospital for care

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
The primary endpoint was current level of pain, as measured by the verbal Numerical Rating Scale (NRS
Time Frame: Before leaving the ER; 24 hours post-treatment
Before leaving the ER; 24 hours post-treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in Medication Use, if any
Time Frame: Baseline; 24 hours post-treatment
Baseline; 24 hours post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Samueli Institute for Information Biology

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
United States Department of Defense

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christine Goertz, DC, PhD, Samueli Institute for Information Biology

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2003

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2004

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 10, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 14, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 15, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 5, 2007

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 4, 2007

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2007

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MIL-03-01
  • MGMC IRB #: FMG20030009H

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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