Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate whether acupuncture is safe and acceptable to people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Twenty-four SLE patients were assigned randomly to receive either 10 sessions of acupuncture, 10 sessions of a minimal-needling control intervention, or their usual medical care alone. It was hypothesized that acupuncture would be safe for people with SLE, and that participants would be able to complete their assigned treatment within 5 to 6 weeks.
Interventions
PROCEDUREAcupuncture
Sponsors
University of Pittsburgh
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Masking
SINGLE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* diagnosed with SLE, 18 years old or older, pain duration at least 3 times per week for at least 3 months, medications and doses stable for the past month, able to speak, read, and understand English, and provide informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
* known pregnancy, active uncontrolled organ involvement, steroid dose greater than 10 mg per day, platelets \< 100,000, previous course of acupuncture treatment.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Safety (side effect and adverse event rates), protocol adherence (expected 80% of sessions completed on time) | 6 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| pre-post treatment effect size estimates for self-reported pain and fatigue | 6 weeks |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed