Comparison of Swiss Versus Standard Low Back Acupuncture in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain
NCT ID: NCT05232487
Last Updated: 2022-12-15
Study Results
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Basic Information
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UNKNOWN
NA
116 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2023-01-31
2025-07-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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In this context and during the last decades and centuries, different acupuncture methods evolved, among others, the acupuncture method newly termed "Swiss low back acupuncture" (SLBA). The SLBA originates from Jiu Gong Points (九宫穴), which is the abbreviation for "Nine Spinal Points" (脊椎九宫穴). The particular sites of Jiu Gong Points were evolved from the eight trigrams and nine palaces square (Ba Gua Jiu Gong fang 八卦九宫方). The eight trigrams (Ba Gua 八卦) are a set of metaphysical and philosophical sigmas composed of three components of yin and yang, which are the essential concept of all-natural phenomena. Nine palaces (Jiu Gong, 九宫), an element of the eight trigrams, correspond to the nine regions in ancient China (Jiu Ye, 九野). They represent the four main (North=kidney; South=heart; East=liver; West=lung; Earth=spleen) and four secondary cardinal points and the earth as the center. In 825 patients with LBP due to lumbar herniated disc, it has been shown that hot needle acupuncture (热针) using Jiu Gong Points around the most significant lesion of the lumbar vertebrae results in good improvements of pain. The uncontrolled study reported a cure of LBP in 65.2% of cases and an improvement of clinical symptoms of 32.4%. Due to the positive report, the hot needle acupuncture using Jiu Gong Points has further evolved in Switzerland and might be a promising tool to treat CLBP, since the optimal method of acupuncture against CLBP remains to be elucidated. However, the efficacy of SLBA has never been quantitatively compared to SA and a randomized clinical trial is warranted to provide first robust evidence on its performance in CLBP.
Therefore, the purpose of this study is to conduct the first randomized clinical trial comparing SLBA and SA on pain relief in patients with CLBP.
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
DOUBLE
Study Groups
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Swiss low back acupuncture group
Participants in this group will be treated with the Swiss low back acupuncture method.
Swiss low back acupuncture (SLBA)
Participants are placed in the prone position (if required with a pillow under the abdomen). Then acupuncture is applied to the back of the body. The treatment takes place for the duration of 9 weeks (2x per week from week 1 to 6 and 1x a week from week 7 to 9). One treatment session lasts about 50-60 minutes.
Swiss low back pain acupuncture The SLBA method is a further developed method from the Jiu Gong acupuncture technique, also known as the Nine Palace-Points on the spine. The following acupuncture points will be used: LV3/ LV5, Tai Xi (Kl 3), Fe Yang (BL 58), Tai Chong (LR 3), Guang Ming (GB 37), Tai Xi (Kl 3) and Fe Yang (BL 58).
Standard acupuncture group
Participants in this group will be treated with the standard acupuncture method.
Standard acupuncture (SA)
Participants are placed in the prone position (if required with a pillow under the abdomen). Then acupuncture is applied to the back of the body. The treatment takes place for the duration of 9 weeks (2x per week from week 1 to 6 and 1x a week from week 7 to 9). One treatment session lasts about 50-60 minutes. The SA method is described in the acupuncture textbook for TCM in China and all acupuncture points are selected based on TCM principles, international literature, and the opinion of national and international TCM experts. The following points have been selected: Ming Men (GV 4), Zhi Shi (BL 52), Tai Xi (KI 3) Yao Guan (GV 3), Guan Yuan Shu (BL 26), Ge Shu (BL 17), Ci Liao (BL 32), Wei Zhong (BL 40), Ji Zhong (GV 6), Yao Yang Guan (GV 3), Shen Shu (BL 23), Da Chang Shu (BL 25) and A-Shi points.
Interventions
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Swiss low back acupuncture (SLBA)
Participants are placed in the prone position (if required with a pillow under the abdomen). Then acupuncture is applied to the back of the body. The treatment takes place for the duration of 9 weeks (2x per week from week 1 to 6 and 1x a week from week 7 to 9). One treatment session lasts about 50-60 minutes.
Swiss low back pain acupuncture The SLBA method is a further developed method from the Jiu Gong acupuncture technique, also known as the Nine Palace-Points on the spine. The following acupuncture points will be used: LV3/ LV5, Tai Xi (Kl 3), Fe Yang (BL 58), Tai Chong (LR 3), Guang Ming (GB 37), Tai Xi (Kl 3) and Fe Yang (BL 58).
Standard acupuncture (SA)
Participants are placed in the prone position (if required with a pillow under the abdomen). Then acupuncture is applied to the back of the body. The treatment takes place for the duration of 9 weeks (2x per week from week 1 to 6 and 1x a week from week 7 to 9). One treatment session lasts about 50-60 minutes. The SA method is described in the acupuncture textbook for TCM in China and all acupuncture points are selected based on TCM principles, international literature, and the opinion of national and international TCM experts. The following points have been selected: Ming Men (GV 4), Zhi Shi (BL 52), Tai Xi (KI 3) Yao Guan (GV 3), Guan Yuan Shu (BL 26), Ge Shu (BL 17), Ci Liao (BL 32), Wei Zhong (BL 40), Ji Zhong (GV 6), Yao Yang Guan (GV 3), Shen Shu (BL 23), Da Chang Shu (BL 25) and A-Shi points.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Age between 18 and 75 years;
* Clinical diagnosis of CLBP with a disease duration of more than 3 months and an average pain intensity of minimally 4 points on a 11-point pain-numerical rating scale (pain-NRS) on the previous 7 days;
* Sufficient knowledge of German to complete the questionnaires.
* History or known severe concomitant diseases (e.g. abdominal aortic aneurysm, heart disease, cancer, psychiatric disorders).
* Other causes of low back pain not related to the clinical diagnosis of CLBP including inflammatory, malignant, or autoimmune disease;
* Planned or previous back surgery within 6 months
* Use of corticosteroids and/or other pain-relieving drugs that act through the central nervous system;
* Initiation of another therapy for CLBP within the last 4 weeks, e.g. physiotherapy;
* Preceding acupuncture treatment for CLBP during the past 6 months;
* Pregnancy;
* Participation in another clinical trial.
18 Years
75 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Swiss University for Traditional Chinese Medicine
UNKNOWN
Li Yiming
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Li Yiming
Yiming Li, Prof. Dr. TCM univ. (CN) Dr. med.
Principal Investigators
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Michael Furain, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Swiss University for Traditional Chinese Medicine
Locations
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Swiss TCM UNI
Bad Zurzach, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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Michael Furian, Phd
Role: primary
References
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Benz T, Lehmann S, Elfering A, Sandor PS, Angst F. Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain: a prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021 Mar 20;22(1):291. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04130-x.
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Schmitz N, Hartkamp N, Kiuse J, Franke GH, Reister G, Tress W. The Symptom Check-List-90-R (SCL-90-R): a German validation study. Qual Life Res. 2000 Mar;9(2):185-93. doi: 10.1023/a:1008931926181.
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Pradhan SK, Angst F, Xu J, Gantenbein AR, Lehmann S, Sandor PS, Li Y, Furian M. Comparison of Swiss versus Standard Acupuncture in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind, Parallel Trial. J Pain Res. 2022 Dec 22;15:4055-4064. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S388558. eCollection 2022.
Other Identifiers
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Study ID: TCM_AKU01/2021
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id