Brain Mechanisms of Acupuncture Treatment in Chronic Low Back Pain

We are doing this study to investigate the effects of acupuncture on chronic low back pain. We are interested in learning about brain activity during pain. We plan to look at brain activity at the beginning and the end of the study, after 6 sessions of acupuncture treatment. You will be randomly assigned to one of two groups to receive either real or placebo acupuncture.

Acupuncture has been used for many years to help relieve pain. However, it is not clear how acupuncture works. Acupuncture may relieve pain by changing activity in the nervous system. Some studies indicate that acupuncture may relieve the low back pain. However, we need more research to see how well acupuncture works to relieve pain for people with this condition.

In this study, we will measure your brain activity before and after you do exercises to make your back pain worse. We will also measure your brain activity while inflating a pressure cuff device on your lower leg. We will measure this brain activity using a research tool called functional MRI (fMRI). Functional MRI is a very fast MRI that uses radio waves and a magnet, and allows the study investigators to look at changes in blood flow to different parts of the brain when there are changes in brain activity.

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Low Back Pain Back Pain Low Back Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

MGH - Martinos Center

Charlestown, Massachusetts, 02129, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Meet the Classification Criteria of the chronic LBP (having low back pain for more than 6 months), as determined by the referring physician.
Subjects must be able to provoke or exacerbate their cLBP using our calibrated exercise-like maneuver.
At least 4/10 clinical pain on the 11-point LBP severity scale on average during the past two weeks prior to enrollment.
At least a 10th grade English-reading level; English can be a second language provided that the patients feel they understand all the questions used in the assessment measures.
Right handed individuals
Must have had a prior evaluation of their low back pain by a health care provider, which may include radiographic studies. Documentation of this evaluation will be obtained from subject's medical record.

Exclusion criteria

Specific causes of back pain (e.g., cancer, fractures, spinal stenosis, infections)
Complicated back problems (e.g., prior back surgery, medico-legal issues)
Possible contraindications for acupuncture (e.g., coagulation disorders, cardiac pacemakers, pregnancy, seizure disorder), and conditions that might confound treatment effects or interpretation of results (e.g., severe fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis)
Conditions making treatment difficult (e.g., paralysis, psychoses, or other severe psychiatric problems based on the judgment of a physician investigator and/or a T score >60 on the psychological assessments performed during Session 1)
Prior acupuncture treatment for back pain; 1 year minimum for any other condition.
The intent to undergo surgery during the time of involvement in the study.
History of cardiac, respiratory, or nervous system disease that, in the judgment of a physician investigator, precludes participation in the study because of a heightened potential for adverse outcome (e.g., asthma, claustrophobia)
Presence of any contraindications to MRI scanning (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, metal implants, fear of closed spaces, pregnancy)
Active substance abuse disorders within the last 24 months, based on subject self-report
Unresolved medical legal/disability/workers compensation claims
Radicular knee pain extending below the knee
Use of more than 60 mg morphine equivalent prescription opioids or steroids for pain.

Treatment and study plan

Acupuncture

Procedure

A licensed acupuncturist will perform acupuncture for six, 30 minute treatment sessions.

Primary outcomes

Pain improvement in patients with lower back pain

Time frame: 6 week study

Acupuncture in patients with lower back pain

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Other

Collaborators

Massachusetts General Hospital
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2012
Primary completion: 2017
Study completion: 2017
First posted: May 10, 2012
Registry last updated: Nov 29, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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