Clinical Effects Of Electrical Acupuncture In Chronic Neck Pain:a Sham-controlled Randomized Clinical Trial

ObjectiveIn a randomized controlled trial, to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture-type treatments to sham acupuncture in patients with chronic neck pain, compare the effectiveness of segmental innocuous stimulation to stronger analgesic for chronic pain, and explore its analgesic effect on chronic neck pain.MethodsEthical approval was obtained from the Guangdong province hospital’s ethical committee. Sixty-two patiens (age range18-60years old) with chronic neck pain participated in the study, they were recruited from the acupuncture department of Guangdong TCM hospital and students in the universities of Guangdong province.With randomized controlled clinical method, subjects were assigned to one of four active groups:electrical stimulation (2/100Hz) applied at the neck of patients (Bailao and Jianzhongshu acupoints) were administered to2groups of patients with chronic neck pain, one group was administered with noxious stimulation (30%above pain threshold) and one with innocuous stimulation (30%below pain threshold).While group3and4received the same means applied at the neck (the same segmental, non-acupuneture points Bailao and Jianzhongshu outside lcm), respectively.The stimulation period lasted30min. The outcome variables were the VAS and pain threshold measured before and after every treatments, and NPQ, McGill scores recorded at per-treatment、 the fifth and post-treatment. Data were applycd of Epidata software to establish database, analysed using the SPSS for Windows.ResultsThe baseline was confirmed by a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for pre-treatment mean age、course、PT、VAS showing no significant differences.VAS(P<0.05)、NPQ (P<0.05) and McGill (P<0.05) decreased significantly in all of groups. No significant differences were found between the four groups on the pain threshold.ConclusionElectrical acupuncture is very effective for chronic neck pain.Both acupoints at neck and non-acupoints at neck in some nerve segment have significant effect of reliving the neck pain. Besides, no differences were found between the different points.Segmental noxious stimulation produces analgesic as some as segmental innocuous stimulation.