Effectiveness of Acupuncture Clinical Pathway

Hospital Son Llatzer3,245 enrolled

Overview

The study will be described the development and implementation of the Clinical pathway (CPW) for acupuncture treatment in the management of patients with some chronic pain conditions. The effectiveness of this CPW will be explored in this study through retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes after administration of acupuncture treatment summarised in the guidelines.

This longitudinal, observational, retrospective study included adults (\>18 years) with common chronic pain condition treated at the Son Llàtzer University Hospital Pain Clinic, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, from January 2015 to December 2018. All patients received treatment according to the Acupuncture Clinical Pathway developed. The primary outcome measures will be a change in pain intensity measured by VAS for pain at the completion of treatment. Number of responder patients, reduction of pain medication intake, improve of quality of live scale, sleep quality index and scale of anxiety and depression after treatment are also to be included in the study. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of integrated a clinical pathway approach for chronic pain treatment with acupuncture in a Pain Clinic.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

3,245

Conditions

Chronic Pain Lumbar Back Pain Osteoarthritis, Knee Headache Shoulder Pain

Interventions

ElectroacupuncturePROCEDURE

The electro-acupuncture device was a biphasic pulse generator. It was used with maximum tolerable intensity of current and a frequency of 3 Hz. The points were selected according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine meridian theory to treat the different painful syndromes. Just as in a regular acupuncture treatment, needles are inserted into acupuncture points but small crocodile clips are then attached to the ends of needles to connect them to an electro-acupuncture device. In traditional acupuncture the inserted needles are manually vibrated to induce a response whilst in electro-acupuncture the bi-phasic current results in a constant (controlled) vibration of the needles and a direct electrical stimulation.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients (\>18 years) Acupuncture treatment for chronic pain (cervicalgia, low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, headache or musculoskeletal pain), Applying Acupuncture treatment Clinical Pathway and completed at least 50% of the medical appointments. Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients (\>18 years) Acupuncture treatment for chronic pain (cervicalgia, low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, headache or musculoskeletal pain), Without applying Acupuncture treatment Clinical Pathway or not completed at least 50% of the medical appointments.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in pain intensity measured by VAS for pain at the completion of treatment

Overall average pain intensity over the last month will be assessed by a continuous scale comprised of a horizontal line, anchored by 'no pain' (score of 0) and 'worst imaginable pain' (score of 100 (100 mm scale)

Time frame: Baseline and after the completion of treatment at 4 months

Secondary Outcomes

Number of responder patients to the acupuncture treatment.

Responders will be defined as patients with a reduction of pain scores of more than 30%, decreasing medication intake or improving quality of live scale (≥ 20%), sleep quality index (≥ 30%) following our Clinical Pathway.