A study on the effects of acupuncture alone compared to acupuncture together with pharmacotherapy on pain relief in emergency department patients with acute migraine, back pain and ankle sprain

Needle Acupuncture is to be applied to patients based on their condition and randomization. Duration of treatment will be between 20-30minutes and will be selcted from a group of predetermined points and following Standards for Reporting Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. All acupuncturists will be registered practioners with the Chinese Medicine Registration Board of Victoria(CMRBV). Patients will be randomized to 1 of 3 groups 1.Acupuncture only 2.Pharmacotherapy only 3. Acupuncture and Pharmacotherapy combined. All 3 groups are one off interventions that will be monitored up to a 72 hour period of the intervention. Acupuncture is to be applied to points on the body consistant with each of the patients conditions and left in place for between 20-30 minutes these points are at thr discretion of the treating acupuncturist and based on a group of researched points that are supplied to the acupuncturists in the acupuncture protocol along with their location, depth and angle of insertion. Pharmacotherapy will be applied by treating physicians and a patient may be withdrawn from the trial at the physicians discretion. The choice of pharmacotherapy is at the physicans discretion and is to be selected from a group of drugs in the 1st line treatment category then the 2nd line treatment category if required. These drugs were seleceted by a group of experienced physicians according to common application and effectiveness. The route, time and dosage will be documented.