Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
12 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2020-02-27
2021-07-01
Brief Summary
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Primary end-points will include whether adverse events occur over a six-month period and whether the aforementioned prosthesis significantly facilitates needle placement in terms of subjective ease of administration.
Detailed Description
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A plastic, custom-molded prosthesis will be developed during the first several months using 3D-scanning and 3D-printing. This prosthesis will be wearable over the ear and will have holes directly over the relevant acupuncture points to facilitate insertion. At the 3-month mark, participants will be given these. If this turns out to not be feasible with the available resources, work on this will cease for the remainder of the project. At the end of the study, participants will be asked whether the prosthesis made a significant difference in the ease of administration and open-ended comments regarding their experience will also be solicited.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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NA
SINGLE_GROUP
OTHER
NONE
Study Groups
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Self-administration of Auricular Acupuncture Group
There is only one arm in this pilot project, whose purpose is to determine safety of self-administration of Battlefield Acupuncture over a six month period and how well a prosthesis facilitates needle insertion. Five ASP (Aiguille D'acupuncture semi-permanente) needles will be self-inserted into each participant's ear every two weeks according to the standardized acupuncture points in Battlefield Acupuncture.
Self-administration of auricular acupuncture without prosthesis
Participants will insert semi-permanent acupuncture needles in their ears without the guidance of a prosthesis
Self-administration of auricular acupuncture with prosthesis
The same participants who previous self-administered a standardized auricular acupuncture will be given custom-molded prostheses midway through the study to assess how much the prostheses facilitate insertion.
Interventions
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Self-administration of auricular acupuncture without prosthesis
Participants will insert semi-permanent acupuncture needles in their ears without the guidance of a prosthesis
Self-administration of auricular acupuncture with prosthesis
The same participants who previous self-administered a standardized auricular acupuncture will be given custom-molded prostheses midway through the study to assess how much the prostheses facilitate insertion.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Participant is physically and cognitively able to self-administer auricular acupuncture. This will be determined by the investigator during the educational sessions.
* Participants taking anti-coagulant or anti-platelet medications will be allowed to participate if they acknowledge an increased risk of bleeding
Exclusion Criteria
* Acquired or congenital defects in the tympanic membrane
* Pregnancy
* Severe cognitive impairment
* Physical disability precluding self-administration of auricular acupuncture
* History of severe vasovagal reaction to acupuncture needling
* History of endocarditis
* History of artificial heart valve
* History of implanted device to support cardiac function
* Participation will be terminated for participants who use the acupuncture needles in any way other than instructed
Participants will be removed from the study if it is discovered they are using the needles in a manner that is inconsistent with the protocol.
18 Years
120 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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Chillicothe VA Medical Center
FED
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Brian L James, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Chillicothe VA Medical Center
Locations
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Chillicothe VA Medical Center
Chillicothe, Ohio, United States
Countries
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References
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White, A, Cummings, M, Filshie Jacqueline. An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2008.
Alimi D, MD, Geissmann A, MD, Gardeur D, MD. Auricular Acupuncture Stimulation Measured on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Medical Acupuncture. 2002:13(2);18-21.
Goertz CM, Niemtzow R, Burns SM, Fritts MJ, Crawford CC, Jonas WB. Auricular acupuncture in the treatment of acute pain syndromes: A pilot study. Mil Med. 2006 Oct;171(10):1010-4. doi: 10.7205/milmed.171.10.1010.
Niemtzow RC, Burns SM, Cooper J, Libretto S, Walter JAG, Baxter J., Acupuncture Clinical Pain Trial in a Military Medical Center: Outcomes, Medical Acupuncture. 2008:20(4); 255-261
Burns S, York A, Niemtzow RC, Garner BK, Steele N, Walter JAG. Moving Acupuncture to the Front Line of Military Medical Care; A Feasibility Study, Medical Acupuncture. 2013:25(1);48-54.
Usichenko TI, Dinse M, Hermsen M, Witstruck T, Pavlovic D, Lehmann C. Auricular acupuncture for pain relief after total hip arthroplasty - a randomized controlled study. Pain. 2005 Apr;114(3):320-327. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2004.08.021.
Vas J, Aranda-Regules JM, Modesto M, Aguilar I, Baron-Crespo M, Ramos-Monserrat M, Quevedo-Carrasco M, Rivas-Ruiz F. Auricular acupuncture for primary care treatment of low back pain and posterior pelvic pain in pregnancy: study protocol for a multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial. Trials. 2014 Jul 16;15:288. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-288.
Yeh CH, Chiang YC, Hoffman SL, Liang Z, Klem ML, Tam WW, Chien LC, Suen LK. Efficacy of auricular therapy for pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:934670. doi: 10.1155/2014/934670. Epub 2014 Jul 23.
Hou PW, Hsu HC, Lin YW, Tang NY, Cheng CY, Hsieh CL. The History, Mechanism, and Clinical Application of Auricular Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:495684. doi: 10.1155/2015/495684. Epub 2015 Dec 28.
Chang LH, Hsu CH, Jong GP, Ho S, Tsay SL, Lin KC. Auricular acupressure for managing postoperative pain and knee motion in patients with total knee replacement: a randomized sham control study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:528452. doi: 10.1155/2012/528452. Epub 2012 Jul 10.
Fox LM, Murakami M, Danesh H, Manini AF. Battlefield acupuncture to treat low back pain in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2018 Jun;36(6):1045-1048. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.02.038. Epub 2018 Feb 27.
Jan AL, Aldridge ES, Rogers IR, Visser EJ, Bulsara MK, Niemtzow RC. Does Ear Acupuncture Have a Role for Pain Relief in the Emergency Setting? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Med Acupunct. 2017 Oct 1;29(5):276-289. doi: 10.1089/acu.2017.1237.
Lee RJ, McIlwain JC. Subacute bacterial endocarditis following ear acupuncture. Int J Cardiol. 1985 Jan;7(1):62-3. doi: 10.1016/0167-5273(85)90175-5.
Stellon A. Acupuncture in patients with valvular heart disease and prosthetic valves. Acupunct Med. 2003 Sep;21(3):87-91. doi: 10.1136/aim.21.3.87.
Tan JY, Molassiotis A, Wang T, Suen LK. Adverse events of auricular therapy: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:506758. doi: 10.1155/2014/506758. Epub 2014 Nov 10.
James BL, Welch J, Williamson C. Self-Administration of Auricular Acupuncture in Rural Veterans with Chronic Pain: A Pilot Project. Med Acupunct. 2021 Oct 1;33(5):349-352. doi: 10.1089/acu.2021.0007. Epub 2021 Oct 18.
Provided Documents
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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Document Type: Informed Consent Form
Other Identifiers
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ChilliVASAAAUC2019-0194
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id