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

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of Chinese and French ear acupuncture in people with chronic back pain. BACKGROUND: Chronic back pain is a common public health problem worldwide. An intervention for this condition is ear acupuncture. Several approaches are used for ear acupuncture, particularly the Chinese and French guidelines. METHODS: An open, randomised and controlled clinical trial, followed the recommendations of the CONSORT Checklist. One hundred and eleven people were selected and randomised into three groups: Chinese ear acupuncture, French ear acupuncture and Control. Evaluations were performed before the first intervention session (initial), 1 week after the fifth session (final) and after a fifteen-day follow-up period (follow-up), using the Brief Pain Inventory, Rolland Morris Disability Questionnaire, and a thermal imaging camera. For data analysis, the Generalized Estimating Equation Model was applied, with significance level set at 5%. RESULTS: Pain severity was significantly decreased by Chinese ear acupuncture throughout intervention period. Both types of ear acupuncture affected pain interference with daily activities. However, in the comparison between initial and final evaluations, only Chinese ear acupuncture produced statistically significant results. A reduction in physical disability was observed in both ear acupuncture-treated groups during the intervention period and, although Chinese ear acupuncture failed to induce significant changes in tissular temperature at individual time points, a significant increase in cutaneous temperature was detected after the follow-up period in the dorsal region of individuals treated with Chinese ear acupuncture. Importantly, at this time point, the mean difference between Chinese and French ear acupuncture revealed a more benefic effect of Chinese procedure on this parameter. CONCLUSIONS: The individualised treatment based on the Chinese precepts showed, in an overall evaluation, better results for management of chronic back pain in the present study. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Ear acupuncture can be implemented in the nurse's clinical practice to assist the treatment of people with chronic back pain.

Efeitos da associação da ventosaterapia à acupuntura auricular sobre a dor crônica nas costas: ensaio clínico randomizado / Effects of the combination of cupping therapy with ear acupuncture on chronic back pain: a randomized controlled trial

A dor crônica nas costas gera alterações físicas, funcionais, emocionais e socioeconômicas. Face à alta prevalência desta condição, os enfermeiros possuem importante papel no tratamento e reabilitação, uma vez que lidam com pacientes portadores do problema em todos os níveis assistenciais. A classificação das intervenções de enfermagem propõe o uso de técnicas não farmacológicas como uma opção para resolução do diagnóstico de enfermagem 'Dor Crônica'. Nestas, destacam-se a acupuntura auricular e a ventosaterapia. A acupuntura auricular se baseia na estimulação de acupontos no pavilhão auricular para aliviar sinais e sintomas de diversas doenças, dentre estas, a dor. A ventosaterapia, por sua vez, envolve a aplicação de copos, em um acuponto ou área de dor, mediante aparelhos de calor ou vácuo, que também é utilizada para o tratamento da dor. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos da associação da ventosaterapia à acupuntura auricular sobre a severidade da dor crônica nas costas, em relação à aplicação isolada da acupuntura auricular. Trata-se de um ensaio clínico randomizado, baseado nas recomendações do Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, do Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture, e do Initiative on Methods, Measurement and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials, realizado entre novembro de 2017 e dezembro de 2018. A amostra final foi constituída por 183 pessoas entre 18 a 70 anos, com dor crônica na coluna vertebral há, no mínimo, três meses, autorrelato de dor ≥ quatro, em uma escala de 0-10, nos últimos sete dias, e função cognitiva preservada. Após a avaliação inicial, por meio da randomização, os participantes foram alocados em dois grupos: Controle (n=94), que recebeu somente a acupuntura auricular; e Experimental (n=89), que foi submetido a acupuntura auricular em associação com a ventosaterapia. Ambos os grupos receberam cinco sessões das intervenções, uma vez por semana. Eles foram avaliados em três momentos: antes de qualquer intervenção (avaliação inicial); após a última sessão das intervenções (avaliação final), e em sete dias após a segunda avaliação (follow-up). Para isso, foi utilizado o instrumento de caracterização do participante, o inventário breve de dor, o questionário de incapacidade de Roland Morris, uma escala de qualidade de vida, o World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref, além de um algômetro digital para avaliação do limiar nociceptivo. O tratamento estatístico dos dados foi realizado por meio do modelo longitudinal, com o uso das Equações de Estimações Generalizadas. Foi demonstrado que a associação da ventosaterapia à acupuntura auricular proporcionou melhores resultados na redução da severidade da dor (p = 0,015 na avaliação final) e da incapacidade física (p= 0,050 na avaliação final e p = 0,010 no follow up), na percepção geral da qualidade de vida (p=0,014 no follow up) e na satisfação com a saúde (p=0,050 na avaliação final), se comparados aos resultados da acupuntura auricular aplicada isoladamente. Além disso, ambos os grupos obtiveram melhoras estatisticamente significativas ao longo do tratamento em todas as variáveis investigadas. Ainda, os efeitos alcançados ao final do tratamento permaneceram uma semana após o seu término, a exceção do domínio relações socais no grupo experimental, da percepção geral da qualidade de vida e domínios psicológicos e relações sociais no grupo controle. Percebe-se a efetividade da acupuntura auricular e da ventosaterapia para o tratamento da dor crônica nas costas, com potencialização do efeito quando essas intervenções são realizadas concomitantemente. Espera-se, portanto, que as evidências aqui encontradas possam favorecer a implementação dessas terapias como ferramentas de intervenção de enfermagem no tratamento de pessoas com dor crônica nas costas.(AU)

Chronic back pain generates physical, functional, emotional and socioeconomic changes. Due to the high prevalence of this condition, nurses have an important role in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients, as they provide care to patients with chronic back pain at all levels of care. The Nursing Interventions Classification recommends the use of non-pharmacological techniques to solve the Nursing Diagnosis of 'Chronic pain'. These techniques include auricular acupuncture and cupping therapy. Auricular acupuncture is based on the stimulation of acupoints in the ear to relieve signs and symptoms of various diseases, including pain. Cupping therapy, in turn, involves the application of cups to an acupoint or pain area using heat or vacuum apparatus. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the combination of cupping therapy with ear acupuncture on the severity of chronic back pain in relation to the isolated application of ear acupuncture. This is a randomized clinical trial conducted between November 2017 and December 2018, based on recommendations from the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials, Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture, and the Initiative on Methods, Measurement and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials. The final sample consisted of 183 participants aged 18 to 70 years with chronic spinal pain lasting at least three months, self-reported pain ≥ four on a scale of 0-10 over the past seven days, and preserved cognitive function. After the initial evaluation, participants were randomly allocated into two groups: Control (n=94), which received only auricular acupuncture; and Experimental (n=89), which underwent auricular acupuncture in addition to cupping therapy. Both groups received five sessions of interventions once a week. Participants were evaluated three times: before any intervention (initial assessment); after the last session of the interventions (final evaluation), and seven days after the second evaluation (follow-up). In each evaluation, we used the following data collection tools: an instrument to collect demographic information from the participant; the Brief Pain Inventory; the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire; the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref; and a digital algometer to assess the nociceptive threshold. Statistical analysis included Generalized Estimation Equations. The results showed that the combination of auricular acupuncture and cupping therapy provided better results in reducing pain severity (p = 0,015 at final evaluation) and physical disability (p= 0,050 na avaliação final e p = 0,010 at follow up), and improving the overall perception of the quality of life (p=0,014 at follow up) and health satisfaction (p=0,050 at final evaluation) when compared to auricular acupuncture by itself. Additionally, both groups achieved statistically significant improvements throughout treatment in all investigated variables. The effects achieved at the end of treatment lasted for one week after the end of the sessions, for the exception of effects in the domain of social relations in the experimental group, and effects on the general perception of quality of life and psychological and social relations domains in the control group. It is noted that the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture and cupping therapy for the treatment of chronic back pain is increased when these interventions are performed concomitantly. Therefore, the evidence found in this study supports the implementation of these therapies as a nursing intervention in the treatment of chronic back pain.(AU)

Ensaio clínico sobre o efeito da acupuntura no nível de ansiedade de mães de prematuros em processo de lactação / Clinical trial on the effect of acupuncture for anxiety in lactating mothers with preterm infants

As mães de recém-nascidos prematuros vivenciam a ansiedade oriunda da fragilidade e incerteza sobre as condições de vida de seu filho e a convivência com o estressante ambiente hospitalar, com implicações no aleitamento materno. Na tentativa de amenizar esta situação, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da acupuntura na ansiedade de mães de recém-nascidos de muito baixo peso (RNMBP). Trata-se de um ensaio clínico randomizado realizado em um hospital universitário do norte do Paraná. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa da instituição na qual foi realizado o estudo e foi submetida a registro em base de dados para ensaios clínicos Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Todas as participantes assinaram o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. A coleta de dados ocorreu no Banco de Leite Humano da instituição, entre agosto de 2011 e novembro de 2012. As participantes foram alocadas em dois grupos: grupo acupuntura (GA) e grupo placebo (GP) e receberam sessões semanais de acupuntura auricular chinesa nos pontos Shenmen, Tensão, Ansiedade 1 e 2 e Relaxamento Muscular. A acupuntura placebo foi realizada com agulhas auriculares adaptadas, sem perfurar a pele. Houve cegamento entre as participantes e o estatístico que realizou a análise dos dados. Utilizaram-se o Inventário de Ansiedade Traço-Estado e a mensuração do cortisol salivar, antes e após a intervenção. Participaram do estudo 29 mães de RNMBP, 14 pertencentes ao GA e 15 pertencentes ao GP. A idade das participantes variou entre 16 e 40 anos, com mediana de 27 anos. A maioria tinha escolaridade até o ensino médio (57%), vivia com o companheiro (72%) e possuía trabalho remunerado (65%). Quanto às variáveis de aleitamento materno, 48% relataram experiência prévia com amamentação, sendo que 13% apresentaram intercorrências durante este período. A incidência de aleitamento materno exclusivo entre as participantes, na data da alta do recém-nascido, foi de 76%, nove pertencentes ao GA (64%) e 13, ao GP (87%), sem relevância estatística entre estes valores (p=0,215). Os resultados para o cortisol salivar, antes da intervenção, variaram entre 0,02 e 0,33 ug/dL para o total de participantes, com média de 0,13 para ambos os grupos (DP=0,08). Após a intervenção, ambos os grupos apresentaram média de 0,14 ug/dL (DP=0,12), variando entre 0,02 e 0,49 ug/dL. A diferença média entre as medidas de cortisol salivar, antes e após a intervenção, foi de -0,02 ug/dL (DP=0,11), mostrando que os níveis de cortisol aumentaram após a intervenção em ambos os grupos, sem significância estatística (p=0,480), e contrariando o esperado. Após a intervenção, o escore de ansiedade-estado das participantes teve redução média de oito pontos, não havendo diferença estatística entre os grupos (p=0,888), com a possibilidade de que tanto a acupuntura real quanto a placebo tenham produzido resultados positivos na redução da ansiedade. Sugere-se que estudos com maior amostra e um terceiro grupo controle sejam conduzidos para melhor esclarecer os efeitos da acupuntura para a redução da ansiedade nesta população.(AU)

Mothers of preterm infants experience anxiety due to the child's frail and uncertain health condition. Spending time in a stressful hospital environment has implications to lactation and breastfeeding. In the attempt to diminish this situation, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of acupuncture in mothers with very low birth weight infants (VLBW). This is a randomized, patient-assessor blind, sham-controlled clinical trial, conducted in a school hospital in northern Paraná. This research has been approved by the ethics review board of the institution where it took place. The trial is registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number 12611000025932. All participants signed the written informed consent. Data was collected at the institution's Human Milk Bank from August 2011 to November 2012. Subjects were allocated into two groups: acupuncture - AG or placebo-acupuncture - PG and treatment sessions occurred once a week. The Chinese ear acupoints used were Shenmen, Tension, Anxiety 1 and 2, Muscle relaxation. For placebo- acupuncture, custom-designed noninvasive ear needles were used. Participants were submitted to the STAI-Y scale and salivary cortisol measurements before and after treatment. Twenty-nine mother's with VLBW infants took part in the study (GA = 14, GP = 15). Participants' age ranged from 16 to 40, median age was 27 years old. Most subjects had high school educational levels (57%); lived with their partners (72%) and had paid jobs (65%). 48% mothers had previous experiences with breastfeeding and 13% mentioned some problems while doing so. Exclusive breastfeeding rate at infant's hospital discharge was 76%, AG = 9 (64%), PG = 13 (87%), not significant (p=0,215). Salivary cortisol levels before intervention ranged from 0,02 to 0,33 ug/dL and both groups presented mean 0,13 ug/dL (SD = 0,08). After treatment both groups had 0,14 ug/dL (SD = 0,12) mean levels, with a 0,02 - 0,49 ug/dL range. Mean difference between salivary cortisol levels before and after treatment was -0,02 ug/dL (SD = 0,11), showing increase in cortisol levels after treatment for both groups, not significant and contrary to expected. After treatment, mean STAI-Y1 (state) scores dropped 8 points, not significant between groups (p=0,888). This result indicate that both real and placebo acupuncture may have produced positive effects in anxiety reduction. We suggest other studies are conducted with bigger sample sizes and that include a third arm with routine care as control group to better understand the effects of acupuncture for anxiety in this population.(AU)

[Auriculotherapy, an anodyne technique in oncology]. / L'auriculothérapie, une technique antalgique en cancérologie.

Auriculotherapy is a complementary therapy recommended for the treatment of chronic pain. Effectively, the whole of the body's innervation territory is mapped out on the ear auricles, "connected" on the level of the brainstem, the relay station of all the body's sensory information. The therapy consists in inserting semi-permanent needles or localised stimulations in the auricles. The ear point is determined on the basis of neurophysiological reasoning.

Auricular acupuncture for insomnia: duration and effects in Korean older adults.

This study examined the duration and effects of auricular acupuncture on insomnia in a sample of 28 Korean older adults. The design was a group, pretest-posttest, repeated-measures study. Measures were the Sleep State Tool and the Sleep Satisfaction Tool. The effects of auricular acupuncture on insomnia among Korean older adults were significant. The duration effects of auricular acupuncture were maintained for 2 weeks. Clinicians should consider providing auricular acupuncture as an alternative method for improving quality of sleep in older adults.

Is there a place for auricular therapy in the realm of nursing?

Several theories, such as the 'homuncular reflex theory' 'delta reflex theory', and 'meridian theory' point to the fact that the ear is related to all parts of the human body and internal organs. Being one of the approaches in traditional Chinese medicine, auricular therapy is a therapeutic method by which specific points on the auricle are punctured or pressed. Auricular therapy can activate meridians and collaterals, regulate the Qi and blood, help to achieve the balance between Yin and Yang status of internal organs, and is therefore suitable for treating many disorders of the body. Successful examples of previous studies using this therapy including insomnia, weight reduction, hypertension, treatment of addiction, and pain reduction. However, inconsistency in the treatment protocol among studies, or the use of combined therapies, makes it impossible to draw a strong causal relationship between this therapy and the treatment effect. More appropriate clinical trials are therefore necessary to understand in depth the therapeutic effect of auricular therapy. Ideally, these trials can take place in the context of nursing practice so as to explore the application of this therapy in the realm of nursing, and to enable nurses to make a more effective contribution to primary health care.