None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to understand the nature of acupoints in people with chronic low back pain. More specifically, we are interested in how acupoints change under the influence of chronic low back pain. In this study, we will assess reaction to pain and biophysical properties at the most commonly-used ‘routine’ acupoints for chronic low back pain (there are 8 of them).
Interventions
This is a matched case-control study aimed to observe the sensitization phenomena at disease-related acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. 16 patients with chronic low back pain and 16 healthy participants with matched age, sex and ethnicity will be recruited. Algometer, infrared camera, skin conductance detector will be used to test the pressure pain threshold, local temperature, and skin conductance (respectively) on acupoints of interest in these two groups. Abnormality of local t
This is a matched case-control study aimed to observe the sensitization phenomena at disease-related acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. 16 patients with chronic low back pain and 16 healthy participants with matched age, sex and ethnicity will be recruited. Algometer, infrared camera, skin conductance detector will be used to test the pressure pain threshold, local temperature, and skin conductance (respectively) on acupoints of interest in these two groups. Abnormality of local tissue and skin will be detected by inspection and palpation, and the distance from the most painful site to the standard acupoint location will be measured to determine if there is enlargement of receptive field or acupoint location switch under the influence of the low back pain. Correlation between severity of low back pain and pressure pain threshold will be used to explore the general law of acupoint sensitization. This will be a one-time assessment, the duration of observation is around 60 mins. All measurements will be conducted by the same practitioner, to ensure consistency in approach. The practitioner is required to be a registered acupuncturist in New Zealand (H.T.), with at least 4 years training, and has clinical experience of more than 2 years.
Sponsors
University of Otago
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
A change has been made on criteria for healthy controls: We change "No history of back pain or back related health issue" to "Don't have back pain or back related health issue in the previous 12 months" The complete content in update field should be: 1. Patients with chronic low back pain -Meet the diagnostic criteria of low back pain in NICE clinical guideline (No.59); -not less than 18 years old; -Pain duration more than 3 months (either intermittent or consecutive pain); -Signed informed consent. 2. Healthy controls -Healthy controls will be matched to patients with low back pain in terms of sex, ethnicity, and age within the range of 5 years; -Good general health; -Don't have back pain or back related health issue in the previous 12 months; -Signed informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
1. Patients with chronic low back pain -Serious spinal disorders including malignancy, vertebral fracture, spinal infection, spinal stenosis, inflammatory spondylitis, cauda equine syndrome; -History of spinal surgery; -Take medications like acetaminophen, duloxetine, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, NSAIDs in the prior 1 week; -Received acupuncture for low back pain in the latest 4 weeks; -Accompanying serious respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, urinary, or digestive system disease, etc; -Mental ill health, such as dementia, schizophrenia, addictive behaviors; or severe depression (PHQ-9 score more than or equal to 15), severe anxiety (PASS score more than 38). -Unable to communicate in English; -Severe disability (RDQ more than or equal to 20), flu, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, sacroiliac joint pain or injury. -Are pregnancy or lactation period; -Have skin damage or open wound on the lower back; 2. Healthy controls -As the points of interest are all on bladder meridian, health problems related to bladder meridian will be excluded; -BL 23 and BL 25 are the Back-shu points of kidney and large intestine respectively, so the diseases related to these 2 organs will be excluded; -Taking medications like acetaminophen, duloxetine, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, NSAIDs in the prior 1 week for any reasons; -Mental ill health, such as dementia, schizophrenia, addictive behaviors; or severe depression (PHQ-9 score more than or equal to 15), severe anxiety (PASS score more than 38). -Unable to communicate in English; -Pregnancy or lactation period; -Skin damage or wound on points;
Outcome results
None listed