Effect of a single session of ear acupuncture on pain intensity and postural control in individuals with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundEar Acupuncture (EA) is a form of acupuncture in which needles are applied to the external ear and has been used in multiple painful conditions. Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent in active individuals and causes high economic burden to health systems worldwide. LBP affects the person’s ability to keep balance, especially in challenging conditions.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the effects of a single session of EA on pain intensity and body sway during postural tasks.MethodEighty adults with LBP and pain intensity equal to or greater than 4 (0-10 scale) were randomly allocated (1:1) to EA group (EAG) or placebo group (PG). Initially, the level of pain intensity was assessed. Next, participants stood still on a force plate either with feet in parallel or in semi-tandem and with eyes open or closed. Then, the EAG was treated with EA for 20 min and the PG was treated with detuned ultrasound. After the treatment, pain intensity was assessed again and the postural test was repeated. Pain intensity was the primary outcome and center of pressure sway area and speed were the secondary outcomes measured.ResultsResults revealed that pain intensity decreased in both groups after treatment, but decreased more in the EAG. For postural control, no effect of treatment and no interaction between treatment and postural condition on body sway were found.ConclusionThose findings indicate that EA is better than placebo to reduce pain, but neither treatment has any effect on postural control.

Acupuntura auricular para dor crônica nas costas em adultos: revisão sistemática e metanálise

“…A total of 930 individuals participated in the selected studies, with age varying from 18 to 90 years of age, whereas 462 were in the groups that received auricular acupuncture, and 468 were in the control groups. All participants presented chronic pain conditions (8) , whereas the lumbar spine was the most affected region (n=10), (17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26) followed by the cervical region (n=3) (27)(28)(29) , and the dorsal region as a whole (n=2) (30)(31) .…”

“…There was no description of loss to follow-up in three RCT (20,23,27) . Therefore, 90% (n=9) of the studies (17)(18)(19)(21)(22)26,(28)(29)31) obtained score five in the Jadad score; 13.3% (n=2) (20,27) obtained score four; 6.7% (n=1) (30) obtained score three; and 20% (n=3) (21)(22)(23)(24)(25) obtained score one.…”

“…Intervention in the control group Main findings Ushinohama et al, 2016 (17) Brazil Auricular acupuncture (n=40)…”

“…Regarding the RCT methodological quality, all studies reported using the random sequence generation method, and in just three this process was not appropriate (23)(24)(25) . In two RCT (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) there was no description of masking, and in other two (24)(25) this masking was considered inadequate. There was no description of loss to follow-up in three RCT (20,23,27) .…”

“…Yeh et al, 2014 (19) Pain intensity was addressed in all studies. The second most evaluated outcome was drug consumption, identified in 46.6% (n=7) of the studies (18)(19)(21)(22)26,29,31) , followed by physical disability (33.3%; n=5) (17,19,(21)(22)24) , quality of pain (33.3%; n=5) ( , and quality of life (26.6%; n=4) (19,(21)(22)31)…”