Effect of Battlefield Acupuncture and Physical Therapy Versus Physical Therapy Alone After Shoulder Surgery

Pain, Postoperative Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effect of Battlefield Acupuncture and Physical Therapy Versus Physical Therapy Alone Following Shoulder Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03525275
• Other study ID #: USMA BFA
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: August 15, 2018
• Est. completion date: April 15, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: May 2019
• Source: Keller Army Community Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine the effectiveness of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) in addition to usual post-surgical shoulder physical therapy compared to a standard shoulder rehabilitation program in reducing medication use and pain in patients who have undergone shoulder surgery. Measurements of medication (opioid, NSAID, acetaminophen, etc.) use (daily number of pills consumed), pain rating, patient specific functional scale and global rating of change will be taken at 24, 72 hours, 7 days, 14 days and at six weeks post-surgery. It is hypothesized that the inclusion of Battlefield Acupuncture will result in a decrease in medication use and post-surgical pain when compared to rehabilitation alone. The population for this study is male and female DoD beneficiaries, ages 17-55 (17 if cadet) that are not participating in other shoulder research studies. The subjects in the experimental group will receive Battlefield Acupuncture in addition to their respective post-surgical shoulder rehabilitation protocol.

Description:

GROUPS Group assignment will be recorded with individual subject identifier and secured in a separate folder until completion of all data collection through the final follow up.

• Experimental Group: Battlefield Acupuncture with respective shoulder surgery protocol

• Control Group: respective post-surgical Shoulder protocol

All Battlefield Acupuncture will be performed by the PI or AI's who are trained in Battlefield Acupuncture. The Battlefield Acupuncture technique will be standardized. The subject will continue to receive the standard of care in accordance with the post-operative protocol between follow-ups.

Experimental Group: Subjects in the experimental group will receive the usual post-surgical rehabilitation protocol per their surgery in addition to Battlefield Acupuncture. Using sterile technique, Battlefield acupuncture using the 5 points within the Battlefield Acupuncture protocol will be used until the desired 0-1/10 VAS is reported by the subject. The sequencing of the acupuncture begins on the same side of the shoulder surgery. Each ear has 5 points of puncture by the ASP needles. The points, in sequence of puncture are named: cingulate gyrus, thalamus, omega 2, point zero and shen men. The PA/AI using sterile technique (proper hand washing, PPE) will start with the ipsilateral ear. The subjects ear is cleaned with an alcohol swab, and punctured with the ASP needle in the cingulate gyrus. After waiting for pain attenuation/side effect monitoring, the subject will ambulate in the clinic to reassess their perceived pain. If the subjects' pain is above the desired 0-1/10 VAS level, the contralateral ear will be punctured with the ASP needle in the cingulate gyrus under sterile technique. After waiting for pain attenuation/side effect monitoring, the subject will ambulate in the clinic to reassess their perceived pain. If the subjects' pain is above the desired 0-1/10 VAS level, the ipsilateral ear will be punctured with the ASP needle in the thalamus point under sterile technique. After waiting for pain attenuation/side effect monitoring, the subject will ambulate in the clinic to reassess their perceived pain. This sterile acupuncture process will proceed alternating ears until the dominant ear for pain attenuation is determined (using only the 5 Battlefield Acupuncture points) until the desired 0-1/10 VAS level is achieved. The subject will be constantly monitored for side effects to include light headedness, dizziness/loss of balance or nausea. Depending on the subjects' pain response, the ASP needles may be inserted into one ear predominantly, for greater pain attenuation. The ASP needles may remain in the Subjects' ears for 3-5 days. There is no standard time for the ASP needles to remain in the Subjects' ears. The ASP needles will naturally work their way out of the Subject's skin over 3-5 days. There are no documented cases of loss of treatment effect if the Subject removes the ASP needles premature to their natural falling off.

Control Group: Subjects in this group will receive rehabilitation and will perform a home exercise program in accordance with the post-operative shoulder protocol. Subjects will be asked to record compliance on an exercise log. Handouts will be provided to each subject.

Repeat measurement of VAS, PSFS, GROC, and daily opioid/NSAID/acetaminophen use will be taken by the PI/AI or study staff on day one, 72 hours, 7days, 14 days and at 6weeks.

All study subjects will engage in supervised progression of their respective post-surgical protocols. Subjects will be progressed within their respective protocols at a safe pace, and their home exercise program compliance will be monitored throughout the 6 weeks of this study. At any time, a subject may opt out of the study without detriment in their care at KACH/Arvin Clinic.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 40
• Est. completion date: April 15, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: April 15, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 17 Years to 55 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Department of Defense beneficiaries ages 17-55, prior to or recent (within 24 hrs) shoulder surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Self-reported pregnancy, History of blood borne pathogens/infectious disease/active infection/metal allergy, bleeding disorders or currently taking anti-coagulant medications, Participants who are not fluent in English

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Acromioclavicular Separation
• Bankart Lesion
• Bankart Lesions
• Bony Bankart Lesion
• Glenohumeral Dislocation
• Glenohumeral Subluxation
• Hill Sach Lesion
• Opioid Use
• Pain, Postoperative
• Rotator Cuff Injuries
• Rotator Cuff Tear
• Shoulder Dislocation
• Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
• SLAP Lesion
• Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

Intervention

Device:
• Battlefield Acupuncture
Battlefield Acupuncture uses ASP semi-permanent needles inserted into their ears for pain attenuation in 5 known points. Both groups receive their respective post-surgical rehabilitation protocols

Procedure:
• Post-surgical shoulder protocol
Surgery specific post-surgical physical therapy protocol

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Keller Army Community Hospital	West Point	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Keller Army Community Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in Pain medication use	Patient log of daily pain medication use (opioid, NSAID, acetaminophen), the number of pills per medication will be logged daily over the course of 6 weeks	daily log, comparison at 24hours, 72hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks
Primary	Change in Visual Analog Pain scale report	patient's perceived pain on the Visual Analog Scale, 0 to 100mm scale with higher equaling more pain perceived by the subject, 0 = no pain and 10= worst pain imaginable.	outcome comparison at 24hours, 72hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks
Secondary	Change in Global Rating of Change (GROC)	Patient perceived improvement from time of surgery using Global Rating of Change, Scored [-7 to 0 to +7] with 0= "no change", -7 "= "a very great deal worse" and +7="a very great deal better".	outcome comparison at 24 hours, 72hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks
Secondary	Change in Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS)	Patient perceived functional difficulty in self selected tasks, 0 to 10 scale with 0= unable to perform specific activity and 10 = "able to perform activity the same as prior to surgery".	outcome comparison at 24 hours, 72hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 6 weeks