Trigger Point Electroacupuncture Treatment in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

NCT ID: NCT06868173

Last Updated: 2025-08-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-03-15
• Study Completion Date: 2025-07-15

Brief Summary

Electroacupuncture is an application of acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation of acupuncture points through acupuncture needles to achieve faster pain relief than acupuncture. Recently, research has shown that Trigger point acupuncture has a significant effect in reducing pain better than acupuncture on acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. However, no research has compared the pain relief effect between Trigger Point electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture on acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. This study was conducted to address this question.

Detailed Description

Participants and Methods: A blinded randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted involving 60 chronic low back pain participants, randomly divided into two groups (A and B): 30 receiving electroacupuncture at the Trigger point (group A) and 30 receiving electroacupuncture on the meridian (group B) for 10 sessions. The primary outcomes were visual analogue scale (VAS), BPI index, and Trigger point count.

Conditions

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP); Trigger Points

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Electro-acupuncture at traditional points

30 patients with non-radiating low back pain for at least three months and normal neurological examination received treatment electro-cupuncture at traditional points for 10 sessions over 4 weeks, electroacupuncture was administered once per session, three sessions per week, on alternate days, with rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Visual analogue scale (VAS) will be recorded after 1 session, 3 session, 5 session, 7 session and 10 session. BPI index and Trigger point count will be recorded after 1 session, 5 session, 10 session.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Electro-acupuncture

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Electroacupuncture at Trigger Points is electroacupuncture at predetermined trigger points. Electroacupuncture at traditional acupoints is electroacupuncture at the following points: Jiaji (L2-L5), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Shendu (BL23), Dachangdu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40).

Electro-acupuncture at the Trigger point

30 patients with non-radiating low back pain for at least three months and normal neurological examination received treatment electro-acupuncture at the Trigger point for 10 sessions over 4 weeks, electroacupuncture was administered once per session, three sessions per week, on alternate days, with rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Visual analogue scale (VAS) will be recorded after 1 session, 3 session, 5 session, 7 session and 10 session. BPI index and Trigger point count will be recorded after 1 session, 5 session, 10 session.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Electro-acupuncture

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Electroacupuncture at Trigger Points is electroacupuncture at predetermined trigger points. Electroacupuncture at traditional acupoints is electroacupuncture at the following points: Jiaji (L2-L5), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Shendu (BL23), Dachangdu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40).

Interventions

Electro-acupuncture

Electroacupuncture at Trigger Points is electroacupuncture at predetermined trigger points. Electroacupuncture at traditional acupoints is electroacupuncture at the following points: Jiaji (L2-L5), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Shendu (BL23), Dachangdu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40).

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients aged 20 or older who consented to participate in the study;
• Individuals experiencing LBP persisting for more than 3 months with an average VAS score of 5 cm or over;
• Patients displaying trigger points in back

Exclusion Criteria

• Major trauma or systemic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Scheuermann disease;
• Systemic symptoms such as weight loss, fever of unknown origin, anorexia, personal history of malignancy, diffuse pain and joint stiffness;
• Symptoms of infection such as fever, meningeal irritation signs, photophobia;
• Symptoms of central motor neuron damage such as Hoffmann sign, Babinski sign, hyperreflexia, spasticity, incontinence, sexual dysfunction;
• Symptoms of serious acute diseases such as myocardial infarction (chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath), arterial dissections (tearing sensation, headache, blurred vision);
• Conditions unsuitable for acupuncture such as inflammation of skin in need of acupuncture, weak or exhausted patients, severe comorbidities;
• Being treated with other methods. Elimination criteria: Patients experiencing adverse events from the intervention leading to their discomfort and withdrawal from the study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Bui Pham Minh Man

Doctor of Philosophy

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Medical Center HCMC - Branch no.3, Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City, , Vietnam

Countries

Vietnam

References

Leite PMS, Mendonca ARC, Maciel LYS, Poderoso-Neto ML, Araujo CCA, Gois HCJ, Souza JHS, DeSantana JM. Does Electroacupuncture Treatment Reduce Pain and Change Quantitative Sensory Testing Responses in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain? A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Oct 8;2018:8586746. doi: 10.1155/2018/8586746. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 30402136 (View on PubMed)

Schliessbach J, van der Klift E, Arendt-Nielsen L, Curatolo M, Streitberger K. The effect of brief electrical and manual acupuncture stimulation on mechanical experimental pain. Pain Med. 2011 Feb;12(2):268-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.01051.x. Epub 2011 Jan 28.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 21276188 (View on PubMed)

Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Kitakoji H. Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a blinded RCT. Acupunct Med. 2004 Dec;22(4):170-7. doi: 10.1136/aim.22.4.170.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 15628774 (View on PubMed)

Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Hirota S, Kitakoji H. Effects of trigger point acupuncture on chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a sham-controlled randomised trial. Acupunct Med. 2006 Mar;24(1):5-12. doi: 10.1136/aim.24.1.5.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 16618043 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

2588/DHYD-HDDD

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id