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Research: LAO and colleagues, De
Listed in Issue 44
Abstract
LAO and colleagues, Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland at Baltimore, 21207-6697 USA. Llao@compmed.ummc.ab.umd.edu write that although acupuncture is increasingly used by the general population is being investigated by conventional medicine, studies regarding its efficacy on pain still lack adequate control procedures.
Background
Methodology
The authors conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate: 1) the efficacy of Chinese acupuncture for treating postoperative oral surgical pain ; 2) the validity of a placebo-controlled procedure; and 3) the effects of psychological factors upon outcomes. Participants were 39 healthy subjects, aged 18-40 years, who were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 19) and control (n =20) groups. The main outcome measures were the patients self-reports of time until moderate pain, time until medication use, total pain relief, pain half gone and total pain medication consumption.
Results
Compared with the placebo group (93.8 minutes), the mean pain-free postoperative time was significantly longer in the acupuncture group (172.9 minutes), as was the time until moderate pain. The mean number of minutes prior to requesting pain rescue medication was significantly longer in the treatment group (242.1 minutes) than in the placebo group (166.2 minutes), as was the time until medication use. The average pain medication consumption was significantly less in the treatment group (1.1 tablets) than in the placebo group (1.65 tablets). There were no significant between-groups differences regarding total pain relief scores or pain-half-gone scores. About 50% of more of all patients were uncertain of or incorrect regarding their group assignment. The outcomes were not associated with psychological factors.
Conclusion
Acupuncture is superior to placebo in preventing postoperative dental pain and the noninsertion placebo procedure is valid as a control.
References
Lao L et al. Evaluation of acupuncture for pain control after oral surgery: a placebo-controlled trial. Archives of Otolaryngology 125(5): 567-72 May 1999.
