Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture for Hand Osteoarthritis

Launched by GUANG'ANMEN HOSPITAL OF CHINA ACADEMY OF CHINESE MEDICAL SCIENCES · Feb 23, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the effects of acupuncture on people with hand osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that causes pain and stiffness in the joints of the hand. Researchers want to see if acupuncture can help improve symptoms compared to a placebo treatment, which is called “sham acupuncture.” The trial is currently looking for participants aged 18 to 80 who have been diagnosed with hand OA for at least three months and experience significant pain.

To participate, individuals must have a certain level of pain and meet specific health criteria, like having certain types of changes in their hand joints seen on X-rays. Participants can expect to receive either real acupuncture or sham treatment over the course of the study. They will also be asked to follow the study guidelines and provide informed consent. This trial aims to determine if acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment option for alleviating pain in those struggling with hand osteoarthritis.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Diagnosed as hand OA according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) clinical classification criteria
• • History of hand OA for at least 3 months before enrollment and history of taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat hand OA
• • Aged 18-80 years
• • At least 40 mm in visual analog scale (VAS) on the average pain intensity of the dominant hand over the last 48 hours (patients applying NSAIDs at the screening have to have an increase in pain in the dominant hand of ≥ 20 mm after 1-week washout)
• • Posterior-anterior radiographs of the dominant hand shows Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1, 2, or 3 changes in symptomatic joints
• • Negative results in both rheumatoid factor and anticyclonic citrullinated peptide
• • Able to comply with the study protocol and understand the medical information forms
• • Voluntarily sign the informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • History or current evidence of secondary OA (due to causes other than a solely degenerative joint disease) or symptomatic OA at additional locations besides the hand(s) requiring treatment, or any painful syndrome of the upper limb which may interfere with evaluation of hand pain;
• • History of inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis), hemochromatosis, metabolic, or neuropathic arthropathies;
• • History of trauma, dislocation or operation to the hand or arm in the previous 3 months;
• • Hand pain and stiffness due to tissue scarring or tendinitis;
• • Skin damage or serious skin disorders in the hands;
• • Intake of antidepressants, anticonvulsants, vascular or narcotics during the 10 days prior to beginning the study;
• • Oral, intramuscular, intra-articular or intravenous corticosteroids, or hyaluronic acid injection within 3 months preceding enrollment;
• • Serious uncontrolled medical conditions such as cancer, uncontrolled cardiovascular disorder, severe hepatic/renal insufficiency or coagulation disorder;
• • Known phobic to acupuncture or received acupuncture treatment within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.