Acupuncture for Back and Neck Pain in an Emergency Room Setting

Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center65 enrolled

Overview

This study aims to examine the efficacy of an Integrative approach utilizing Acupuncture as an add-on therapy for the treatment back and neck pain in an emergency department setting Acupuncture is well established as an effective treatment for back pain. The investigators cumulative experience in Asaf Harofeh Medical Center has shown Acupuncture to be an Effective therapy for simple back and neck pain in an ER setting. This study will examine weather Acupuncture can decrease pain, increase range of motion and decrease anxiety in patients admitted to the Emergency Room with simple back and neck pain without neurological findings. Acupuncture will be performed as an add on therapy on top of analgesic therapy.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Back Pain Neck Pain Anxiety Range of Motion

Real AcupuncturePROCEDURE

Real acupuncture treatment in real acupuncture points

Placebo AcupuncturePROCEDURE

empty plastic acupuncture guide-tube located on the patients back in a non visable area and connected to a visible electric stimulator

No interventionPROCEDURE

Patients lay down for a period of 35 minutes without any treatment o intervention

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 60 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Adult male and females age 18-60 with acute or sub acute/chronic simple back or neck pain * Agreed to a physical examination and by an orthopedic physician and X-ray * Diagnosis of simple back pain with levels of 4\<NRS at least * Agreed and able to fill pain, anxiety and satisfactory questioners * Agreed and able to sign informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Fracture, sprain or neurological deficit during physical examination * Pain scale of NRS\< 4 * Referred or radiating pain * Active pregnancy * Active inflammatory arthritis * History of CVA * Open wounds * Acute malignancy with life expectancy of less than 5 years * Experience with acupuncture treatments * History of drug addiction * History of osteoporosis * Declined or unable to sign informed consent * Soldiers in active military service

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

A comparable difference in pain levels between a combined medication and acupuncture treatment to medication treatment alone as measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)

Time frame: At day of treatment, after 24 hrs

Secondary Outcomes

4.2.1 A comparable difference in range of motion between a combined medication and acupuncture treatment to medication treatment alone as measured by Spine Scan Device and physical exam using gonoimeter

Time frame: day of treatment, after 24 hrs

4.2.2 A comparable difference in patient self reported anxiety assessed by Hebrew version of the anxiety and somatization sections of the Symptom Check List-90 questioner (SCL-90)

Time frame: day of treatment

4.2.3 A comparable difference in the amount of analgesic pain medication consumed by the patients during the week following the treatment

Time frame: day of treatment and after 24 hours

4.2.4 A comparable difference in safety and patient satisfactory as measured by overall satisfactory and safety questionnaires

Time frame: day of treatment, after 1 weekl