Action of ear acupuncture in people with chronic pain in the spinal column: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objectives:to assess the action of ear acupuncture on disability and tissue temperature in people with chronic pain in the spinal column. Method:a clinical trial with a sample of 110 people, randomized into three groups: Treatment, Placebo and Control. The assessment instruments were the Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and a thermographic camera, administered before the first treatment session, one week after and 15 days after (follow-up) the fifth session of ear acupuncture. In the analysis of the data, the Kruskal Wallis, Student-Newman Keuls and Wilcoxon tests were applied. Results:there was a significant reduction in disability in the Treatment and Placebo groups between the initial and final assessments (p<0.05) and between the initial assessments and follow-up (p<0.05). In the final assessment, the Treatment group presented improvement of disability when compared with the Placebo and Control groups (p<0.05). There was an increase in mean tissue temperature of the dorsal region between the initial and follow-up assessments in Treatment and Control groups (p<0.05), and between the final assessments and follow-up in the Treatment and Placebo groups (p<0.05). Conclusion:ear acupuncture was efficacious in reducing disability and increasing tissue temperature in people with chronic pain in the spinal column. Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials ().

Contribution of Chinese and French ear acupuncture for the management of chronic back pain: A randomised controlled trial

“…It is believed, therefore, that EA stimulates the release of vasoactive substances, which may lead to an improved local blood flow and increased temperature. Furthermore, when pain is decreased, the movement of the affected region can be reestablished, which may favour the restoration of the compromised microcirculation (Moura et al, ). In this way, this parameter provides an important functional substrate to support the physiological effect of the intervention, which, applied locally to the auricular pavilion, is able to induce detectable systemic effects.…”

“…The literature presents very convincing scientific evidence on the control of chronic back pain using separately Chinese (Moura et al, 2018;Yeh et al, 2015Yeh et al, , 2014 and French EA approaches (Sator-Katzenschlager et al, 2004, 2003Silva et al, 2015). Although studies clearly based on the Chinese EA bring more accurate results in relation to those following the French line, difficulty is still found in distinguishing which line of treatment is used in the selection of auricular points, since this information is not always explicit in methodology.…”

Auriculotherapy: neurophysiology, points to choose, indications and results on musculoskeletal pain conditions: a systematic review of reviews

“…Jiang et al 18 found a positive and lasting effect of AT on pain and that adverse effects are insufficient for patients to abandon treatment. In order to resolve these doubts, studies such as Moura et al 27 , with 110 participants, treatment group, placebo, and control, should be encouraged, as they allow reliable conclusions to be based. The justification for the effects of AT seems to be linked not only to the penetration of the needle into the pinna but to the choice of ideal sites 14 .…”

Auriculotherapy and reducing chronic musculoskeletal pain: integrative review

“…This practice is based on the precepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is easy to apply, uses non-invasive materials and has minimal side effects (12) . The national and international scientific literature has shown positive results in the treatment of several diseases, both psychic and physical (12)(13)(14)(15) , showing itself, in this sense, as a promising practice (11) .…”