Trigger Point Electroacupuncture Treatment in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

NCT06868173 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2588/DHYD-HDDD
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Electroacupuncture is an application of acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation of acupuncture points through acupuncture needles to achieve faster pain relief than acupuncture. Recently, research has shown that Trigger point acupuncture has a significant effect in reducing pain better than acupuncture on acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. However, no research has compared the pain relief effect between Trigger Point electroacupuncture and electroacupuncture on acupoints in patients with chronic low back pain. This study was conducted to address this question.

Conditions

Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP); Trigger Points

Keywords

Electro-acupuncture; Trigger points; Low back pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Comparison of VAS pain intensity between electroacupuncture at the trigger point and electroacupuncture traditional point group

  With the VAS, participants were asked to make a hatch mark on a 100 mm line that represents their average pain intensity. These were then converted to a numerical score for each face (i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10), depending on the face selected. The end-point descriptors for VAS was "No pain" (0, 0 mm, and the face representing no pain, respectively) and "The most intense pain imaginable" (10, 100 mm, and the face representing the most intense pain level, respectively).

  Baseline, after 3 sessions, after 5 sessions, after 7 sessions, after 10 sessions

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Comparison of BPI index between electroacupuncture at the trigger point and electroacupuncture traditional point group.

  Baseline, after 5 sessions, and after 10 sessions

Other Outcomes (1)

• Comparison of trigger point count between electroacupuncture at the trigger point and electroacupuncture traditional point group

  Baseline, after 5 sessions, and after 10 sessions

Study Arms (2)

Electro-acupuncture at traditional points

SHAM COMPARATOR

30 patients with non-radiating low back pain for at least three months and normal neurological examination received treatment electro-cupuncture at traditional points for 10 sessions over 4 weeks, electroacupuncture was administered once per session, three sessions per week, on alternate days, with rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Visual analogue scale (VAS) will be recorded after 1 session, 3 session, 5 session, 7 session and 10 session. BPI index and Trigger point count will be recorded after 1 session, 5 session, 10 session.

Device: Electro-acupuncture

Electro-acupuncture at the Trigger point

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

30 patients with non-radiating low back pain for at least three months and normal neurological examination received treatment electro-acupuncture at the Trigger point for 10 sessions over 4 weeks, electroacupuncture was administered once per session, three sessions per week, on alternate days, with rest on Saturdays and Sundays. Visual analogue scale (VAS) will be recorded after 1 session, 3 session, 5 session, 7 session and 10 session. BPI index and Trigger point count will be recorded after 1 session, 5 session, 10 session.

Device: Electro-acupuncture

Interventions

Electro-acupuncture DEVICE

Electroacupuncture at Trigger Points is electroacupuncture at predetermined trigger points. Electroacupuncture at traditional acupoints is electroacupuncture at the following points: Jiaji (L2-L5), Yaoyangguan (GV3), Shendu (BL23), Dachangdu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40).

Electro-acupuncture at the Trigger point; Electro-acupuncture at traditional points

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients aged 20 or older who consented to participate in the study;
• Individuals experiencing LBP persisting for more than 3 months with an average VAS score of 5 cm or over;
• Patients displaying trigger points in back

You may not qualify if:

• Major trauma or systemic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, Scheuermann disease;
• Systemic symptoms such as weight loss, fever of unknown origin, anorexia, personal history of malignancy, diffuse pain and joint stiffness;
• Symptoms of infection such as fever, meningeal irritation signs, photophobia;
• Symptoms of central motor neuron damage such as Hoffmann sign, Babinski sign, hyperreflexia, spasticity, incontinence, sexual dysfunction;
• Symptoms of serious acute diseases such as myocardial infarction (chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath), arterial dissections (tearing sensation, headache, blurred vision);
• Conditions unsuitable for acupuncture such as inflammation of skin in need of acupuncture, weak or exhausted patients, severe comorbidities;
• Being treated with other methods. Elimination criteria: Patients experiencing adverse events from the intervention leading to their discomfort and withdrawal from the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Medical Center HCMC - Branch no.3, Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Leite PMS, Mendonca ARC, Maciel LYS, Poderoso-Neto ML, Araujo CCA, Gois HCJ, Souza JHS, DeSantana JM. Does Electroacupuncture Treatment Reduce Pain and Change Quantitative Sensory Testing Responses in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain? A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Oct 8;2018:8586746. doi: 10.1155/2018/8586746. eCollection 2018.

  PMID: 30402136 BACKGROUND

• Schliessbach J, van der Klift E, Arendt-Nielsen L, Curatolo M, Streitberger K. The effect of brief electrical and manual acupuncture stimulation on mechanical experimental pain. Pain Med. 2011 Feb;12(2):268-75. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.01051.x. Epub 2011 Jan 28.

  PMID: 21276188 BACKGROUND

• Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Kitakoji H. Trigger point acupuncture treatment of chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a blinded RCT. Acupunct Med. 2004 Dec;22(4):170-7. doi: 10.1136/aim.22.4.170.

  PMID: 15628774 BACKGROUND

• Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Hirota S, Kitakoji H. Effects of trigger point acupuncture on chronic low back pain in elderly patients--a sham-controlled randomised trial. Acupunct Med. 2006 Mar;24(1):5-12. doi: 10.1136/aim.24.1.5.

  PMID: 16618043 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Back Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The study participants will not know which electroacupuncture group they are in. The acupuncturist and the data processor are 2 different people.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Doctor of Philosophy

Model Details: A blinded randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2025
• First Posted: March 10, 2025
• Study Start: March 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2025
• Study Completion: July 15, 2025
• Last Updated: August 29, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

VN (1)