Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat.

Mike O'Callaghan Military Hospital56 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to compare ear acupuncture plus standard of care versus standard therapy (anti-inflammatory medications) in the reduction of pain, reduction in oral anti inflammatory medication use, hours lost from work in acute sore throat.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Acute Sore Throat

Interventions

Standard treatment plus ear acupunctureDEVICE

Standard treatment plus ear acupuncture

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion: * Male and female subjects (DoD beneficiaries), 18 years or older, with upper respiratory complaints and their primary symptom being acute sore throat. * Minimum pain score of 5 points on an 11 point scale (0-10 with 10 being the worst pain) Exclusion: * History of significant gastrointestinal bleed * Previous documented history of stage 2 kidney disease or worse * Known Pregnancy * History of gastric bypass surgery * Known Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) * Throat, mouth or esophageal cancer * Chronic oral steroids use * Absence of one or more ears * Active cellulitis of ear * Ear anatomy precluding identification of acupuncture landmarks * Non-English speaking * Use of Hearing Aids that preclude the use of ear acupuncture * Allergy to Ibuprofen

Locations (1)

Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hosptial

Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Reduction in Pain

Subjects will be randomized to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus ear acupuncture. Subjects will be asked 15 minutes after their treatment to assess their pain on a likert scale of 0-10. After the subject has left the clinic, phone calls will be made at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours to assess their pain level. Scale: 11-point scale of 0-10 with 10 being the worst pain. Subjects who report back after 48 hours with unimproved sore throat will be instructed to make a same day follow up with the clinic.

Time frame: 48 hours per subject

Ibuprofen Doses Taken

Subjects will be randomized to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus ear acupuncture. After the subject has left the clinic, phone calls will be made at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours to ask the number of doses of ibuprofen taken.

Time frame: 48 hours per subject

Missed Work Hours

Time frame: 48 hours per subject

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.