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Recruiting NCT07197710

Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Pain After Spinal Surgery

No phase Interventional Pain Management

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: video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT), Education video.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Pain Management. 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
United States
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

Assessing the Efficacy of Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Acute Pain Management in Spinal Surgery

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether imagined acupuncture can reduce postoperative acute pain in adult patients undergoing spinal surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does video-guided imagined acupuncture improve postoperative pain control? Does the intervention reduce opioid consumption and improve functional recovery in the immediate postoperative period? Researchers will compare the imagined acupuncture group to the control education video group to see if imagery-based intervention leads to better pain outcomes and reduced analgesic use. Participants will: Watch a 30-minute video once daily for 7 consecutive days after surgery Complete pain and function assessments during the hospital stay and postoperative follow-up

Interventions

  • Other video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT)
    Unlike traditional acupuncture, VGAIT can be self-administered and does not require physical needle insertion, making it a practical alternative for patients seeking non-invasive pain management.
  • Other Education video
    Education video about postoperative precautions

Primary outcome measures

  • Pain Scores (VAS) [Time frame: During the first postoperative week (Days 0-6)]
  • 2) Functional Scores (ODI) [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
  • 3) Rescue Opioid Consumption [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
  • 1) Time to First Rescue Analgesia [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
  • 2) Total Analgesic Consumption [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
  • 3) Length of Hospital Stay [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
  • 4) Adverse Effects [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]
  • 5) Additional Assessment Tools [Time frame: On postoperative Day6]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Undergoing 1- to 2-level primary spine surgery
  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Willing and able to receive postoperative imagined acupuncture (VGAIT)
  • Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Undergoing revision surgery or procedures involving more than 3 spinal levels
  • History of prior spinal surgery
  • Intraoperative complications likely to interfere with postoperative pain assessment
  • Diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorders that impair participation or communication
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Unable to cooperate with treatment or pain assessments Individuals with uncorrectable vision impairment that would interfere with viewing study videos or completing study questionnaires.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double blind
Primary purpose
Treatment

Study locations

United States · 1 center
  • Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston

Publications

  • Kong J, Eshel MN. Applying the Power of the Mind in Acupuncture Treatment of Pain. Med Acupunct. 2020 Dec 1;32(6):367-372. doi: 10.1089/acu.2020.1477. Epub 2020 Dec 16. PMID 33362889
  • Kong J, Kaptchuk TJ, Polich G, Kirsch I, Vangel M, Zyloney C, Rosen B, Gollub RL. An fMRI study on the interaction and dissociation between expectation of pain relief and acupuncture treatment. Neuroimage. 2009 Sep;47(3):1066-76. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.05.087. Epub 2009 Jun 6. PMID 19501656
  • Cao J, Tu Y, Orr SP, Wilson G, Kong J. Modulatory Effects of Actual and Imagined Acupuncture on the Functional Connectivity of the Periaqueductal Gray and Ventral Tegmental Area. Psychosom Med. 2021 Oct 1;83(8):870-879. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000984. PMID 34292206
  • Cao J, Tu Y, Orr SP, Lang C, Park J, Vangel M, Chen L, Gollub R, Kong J. Analgesic Effects Evoked by Real and Imagined Acupuncture: A Neuroimaging Study. Cereb Cortex. 2019 Jul 22;29(8):3220-3231. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhy190. PMID 30137262
  • Cao J, Tu Y, Wilson G, Orr SP, Kong J. Characterizing the analgesic effects of real and imagined acupuncture using functional and structure MRI. Neuroimage. 2020 Nov 1;221:117176. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117176. Epub 2020 Jul 17. PMID 32682992
  • Kong Q, Sacca V, Walker K, Hodges S, Kong J. Thalamocortical Mechanisms Underlying Real and Imagined Acupuncture. Biomedicines. 2023 Jun 26;11(7):1830. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11071830. PMID 37509469
  • Cao J, Orr SP, Wilson G, Kong J. Imagined and Actual Acupuncture Effects on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study. Neural Plast. 2020 Jul 1;2020:8579743. doi: 10.1155/2020/8579743. eCollection 2020. PMID 32684925

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07197710 · 2025P001674

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗