Randomized Comparative Trial for Persistent Pain in Spinal Cord Injury: Acupuncture vs Aspecific Needle Skin Stimulation

Launched by MONTECATONE REHABILITATION INSTITUTE S.P.A. · May 30, 2017

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

About 67% of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience painful symptoms in the course of life after injury and a third evaluates the pain as "severe", with a significant impact on quality of life, due to limitations in daily activities and autonomy. Persistent pain can be of different origin and may be nociceptive, neuropathic or mixed. However, it is often poorly responsive to pharmacological therapy. For some years, attention has been paid to the use of non-pharmacological therapies and interventional techniques in treating pain, and acupuncture has been the treatment most used an...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Persistent pain: NRS score \>2 in at least 5 assessments in 5 consecutive days, despite usual antalgic management;
• • Spinal cord injury due to any etiology (both traumatic and non-traumatic);
• • Spinal cord injury of any neurological level, complete or incomplete, classifiable as Asia Impairment Score (AIS) A, B, C or D;
• • Stable medical conditions;
• • At least 1 month away from the spinal cord injury event.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Sporadic pain;
• • Mechanical ventilation;
• • Pregnancy;
• • Disorders of consciousness;
• • Incapacity to give informed consent in person.