None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The study aims to evaluate the use of acupuncture to reduce perceived stress levels in tertiary students. Participants will take part in four acupuncture interventions at either high or low frequency (once or twice per week). The study hopes to inform clinical decision making in practice. The hypothesis is that acupuncture is effective to reduce perceived stress, and that there is a difference (in both speed and size of effectiveness) between higher acupuncture treatment frequency than lower treatment frequency.
Interventions
Acupuncture:
Two arms (High and Low Frequency)
Intervention 1 – High Frequency
The patient will be asked to lie supine (face up) on a treatment table. There are four acupuncture points being needled bilaterally, involving a total of 8 needles. The points and order of insertion are: Liver 3, Large Intestine 4, Spleen 6 and Pericardium 6. The needle will be manipulated using a lifting thrusting and rotation method immediately after insertion for a minimum of 10 seconds to illicit a sensation of
Acupuncture: Two arms (High and Low Frequency) Intervention 1 – High Frequency The patient will be asked to lie supine (face up) on a treatment table. There are four acupuncture points being needled bilaterally, involving a total of 8 needles. The points and order of insertion are: Liver 3, Large Intestine 4, Spleen 6 and Pericardium 6. The needle will be manipulated using a lifting thrusting and rotation method immediately after insertion for a minimum of 10 seconds to illicit a sensation of de qi (numbness, heaviness, dull ache) is reported. The needles will be retained for 20 minutes. The intervention will be performed twice a week for two weeks totalling four treatments. Needles will be removed in the same order as insertion and immediately placed in a Sharps container. Intervention 2 – Low Frequency As for high frequency but: The intervention will be performed once per week for four weeks for a total of four interventions. The location, needling angle and needling depth will be as follows: Large Intestine 4 Location: On the dorsum of the hand in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal on the lateral side. At the highest point of the muscle when the thumb and index finger are held close together. Needling Angle: Perpendicular Needling Depth: 5mm Needle Type: Balance, 0.20 x 30mm Liver 3 Location: On the dorsum of the foot in the angle formed by the 1st and 2nd metatarsals, just anterior to the articulation with the 1st and 2nd cuneiforms. Needling Angle: Perpendicular Needling Depth: 3mm Needle Type: Balance, 0.20 x 30mm Pericardium 6 Location: Two anatomical units above the wrist flexure between the tendons of the palmaris longus and the flexor carpi radialis. Needling Angle: Perpendicular Needling Depth: 3mm Needle Type: Balance, 0.18 x 15mm Spleen 6 Location: On the anterior/medial aspect of the leg, 3 anatomical units above the ‘tip’ (medial extremity) of the medial malleolus, just posterior to the border of the tibia. Needling Angle: Perpendicular Needling Depth: 4 mm Needle Type: Balance, 0.20 x 30mm All interventions will be performed by individual/s with a Bachelor’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine/Acupuncture, have 10 years clinical experience, and registered health care practitioners with the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia (Ahpra:CMBA). All interventions will be performed at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) Chinese Medicine Clinic, located at Building 4, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia Adherence to the intervention will be monitored using an online diary and booking system (via MS Outlook). Participants who have missed an intervention will be emailed for further information regarding future interventions. Missed data points will be filled using the Last Observation Carried Forward (LOCF) method.
Sponsors
University of Technology, Sydney
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
• Currently enrolled as a tertiary student at UTS • Aged 18 and over • Able to provide informed consent • Self-identify as ‘stressed’
Exclusion criteria
• Bleeding disorders or any disorder that prohibits the use of acupuncture or certain points specified in this intervention; • Use of prescribed anti-coagulant medication (such as warfarin) that may interfere with blood clotting • Use of acupuncture for stress in the 14 days prior to the intervention • Pregnancy • Needle phobia • Unwilling to complete outcome measures or attend the clinic for treatment • Suicidal ideation
Outcome results
None listed