Pregnancy-related back pain Pregnancy and Childbirth Other dorsalgia
Conditions
Interventions
1. Standard Care (SC):
A written package of education and advice about self-management plus onward referral, if necessary, for physiotherapy as per usual care.
2. Stand
Sponsors
Keele University (UK)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
Female
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Healthy women with pregnancy-related back pain (with or without pelvic PGP) as determined by their self-reported pain location on a pain drawing/body chart 2. Aged 18 years and over 3. At 13 to 31 weeks gestation 4. Naïve to acupuncture treatment 5. Able to communicate in English (to complete the baseline and outcome assessments) 6. Willing to participate Women who have had low back pain episodes before this pregnancy are suitable for inclusion as long as the current episode of low back pain is attributed to this pregnancy.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Women who have had acupuncture previously for any health problem 2. Those at high risk of pre-term labour (previous pre-term labour, multiple pregnancies, polyhydramnios, pre-term ruptured membranes) 3. Those with diagnosed pre-eclampsia 4. Previous history of surgery to the spine or the pelvis 5. Women who have contra-indications to any of the treatments (coagulation problems, haemophilia or bleeding disorders) 6. Those at increased risk of infection such as skin infections or loss of skin integrity from burns or ulcerations at the site of needling) 7. Those with needle phobia 8. Those with pelvic girdle pain (PGP) or pubic symphysis pain
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Pain severity, measured by a pain index (mean of three numerical rating scales (NRS) of least, usual and current pain) 2. Disability, measured by the Oswestry Disability Index and the Disability Rating Index, at baseline and at no later than 12 weeks after randomisation (this will be informed by qualitative research with women) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Worst pain before going to bed 2. Ability to sleep through the night 3. Pain location 4. Global rating of change 5. Pain in other bodily regions 6. Medication 7. Satisfaction with work 8. Work loss 9. Quality of life 10. Health care utilisation since baseline 11. Treatment credibility 12. Satisfaction with care 13. Satisfaction with outcomes and adverse events | — |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed