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NCT Number: NCT07197710

Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Pain After Spinal Surgery

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

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Key information

Conditions

Pain Management Agnosia Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Perceptual Disorders Postoperative Complications Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jingping Wang

CONTACT

[email protected]

6176432729

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

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.

Treatment and study plan

video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT)

Other

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.

education video

Other

Education video about postoperative precautions

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain Scores (VAS)

    Time frame: During the first postoperative week (Days 0-6)

    Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) daily, including VAS at rest, VAS on movement

  2. 2) Functional Scores (ODI)

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    Functional status will be evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

  3. 3) Rescue Opioid Consumption

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    The total amount of rescue opioid medication used during the first postoperative week will be recorded in milligrams (oral and intravenous)

Secondary outcomes

  1. 1) Time to First Rescue Analgesia

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    The exact time (in hours and minutes) from the end of surgery to the administration of the first rescue analgesic will be recorded

  2. 2) Total Analgesic Consumption

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    The cumulative amount of all pain medications (opioid and non-opioid, oral and intravenous) administered within 7 days postoperatively, recorded in milligrams.

  3. 3) Length of Hospital Stay

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    Measured as the number of days from the date of surgery to the date of hospital discharge.

  4. 4) Adverse Effects

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    Incidence of treatment-related side effects, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, respiratory depression, urinary retention, ileus, or any other reported complications.

  5. 5) Additional Assessment Tools

    Time frame: On postoperative Day6

    RCSQ: Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jingping Wang Associate Professor

CONTACT

[email protected]

6176432729

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Jingping Wang, MD, Ph.D.

Other

Registry information

Official study title

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

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Sep 29, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 8, 2026

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.

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