Auricular Acupressure and Limb Massage for Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: auricular acupressure, body acupoint massage.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Spinal Cord Injury. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Effect of Auricular Acupressure and Peripheral Limb Acupoint Massage on Neuropathic Pain, Activities of Daily Living and Quality of Life in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury
Overview
This randomized controlled trial included 90 patients with spinal cord injury, divided into an experimental group and a control group (45 each). The experimental group received auricular acupressure alongside rehabilitation therapy, while the control group received body acupoint massage alongside rehabilitation therapy. The intervention targeted specific auricular and body acupoints, performed three times daily, five days a week, for three weeks.
Detailed description
This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted in the rehabilitation ward of National Taiwan University Hospital, using a convenience sampling method. A total of 90 spinal cord injury patients who meet the inclusion criteria will be recruited and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=45) or the control group (n=45).
The experimental group will receive auricular acupressure in addition to rehabilitation therapy. The selected auricular acupoints include Shenmen (TF4), Subcortex (AT1), Liver (CO12), and Sympathetic (AH6a).
The control group will receive body acupoint massage in addition to rehabilitation therapy. The selected body acupoints include Quchi (LI11), Hegu (LI4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Zusanli (ST36).
Both groups will receive acupoint massage three times daily, with each acupoint being massaged for three minutes. The applied pressure will be adjusted to induce sensations of soreness, numbness, fullness, or mild pain. The intervention will be conducted five days per week for a total of three weeks.
Interventions
- Behavioral auricular acupressure
auricular acupressure was performed three times daily, with each acupoint massaged for three minutes at an optimal pressure level that induced sensations of soreness, numbness, distension, or mild pain. This was conducted five days a week for three weeks, in addition to regular rehabilitation therapy provided five days per week.The selected auricular acupoints include Shenmen (TF4), Subcortex (AT1), Liver (CO12), and Sympathetic (AH6a). - Behavioral body acupoint massage
The control group will receive acupoint massage three times daily, with each acupoint being massaged for three minutes. The applied pressure will be adjusted to induce sensations of soreness, numbness, fullness, or mild pain. The intervention will be conducted five days per week for a total of three weeks. The selected body acupoints include Quchi (LI11), Hegu (LI4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Zusanli (ST36).
Primary outcome measures
- Douleur Neuropathique 4 questions(DN4) [Time frame: Before the intervention and on the 5th, 12th, and 19th days of the intervention.]
- PainDetect Pain Questionnaire [Time frame: Before the intervention and on the 5th, 12th, and 19th days of the intervention.]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Barthel Index [Time frame: Before the intervention and on the 5th, 12th, and 19th days of the intervention.]
- WHOQOL-BREF [Time frame: Before the intervention and on the 5th, 12th, and 19th days of the intervention.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Over 18 years old.
- Spinal cord injury due to traumatic or non-traumatic reasons.
- Within one year after spinal cord injury.
- Spinal cord injuries are classified into ASIA grades B to D.
- DN4 scale ≥ 4 points and PainDETECT scale ≥ 19 points.
- Able to communicate in Mandarin and Taiwanese or able to read and write Chinese.
Exclusion criteria
- The auricle and surrounding skin are injured, infected or susceptible.
- Nerve block surgery has been performed previously.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06700278 · 202409079RIND