Immediate efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercise as 10 min rapid therapy for pain and movement disorders in patients suffering from acute stiff neck: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to assess the immediate efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercises in rapidly relieving pain and improving movement disorders within 10 minutes in patients with acute stiff neck.
Results Summary
The study is designed to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with active exercises, sham acupuncture with active exercises, and active exercises alone, with primary outcomes measured at 10 minutes. Results are pending as the study is ongoing.
Population
120 participants diagnosed with acute stiff neck at a single center in China.
Effective Dosage
Single 10-minute session.
Duration
10 minutes.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
acupuncture combined with active exercises | decrease | pain and movement disorders | patients with acute stiff neck (ASN) | within 10 min | rapidly relieving pain and improving movement disorders | #1 |
acupuncture combined with active exercise | increase | effective rate | participants diagnosed with ASN | at 10 min of treatment | effective rate | #2 |
acupuncture combined with active exercise | increase | effective rate | participants diagnosed with ASN | at other time points (0-1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 min) | effective rate | #3 |
acupuncture combined with active exercise | decrease | Visual Analogue Scale score | participants diagnosed with ASN | - | Visual Analogue Scale score | #4 |
acupuncture combined with active exercise | increase | cervical range of motion | participants diagnosed with ASN | - | cervical range of motion | #5 |
INTRODUCTION: Stiff neck is a condition mainly characterised by persistent pain and limited neck movement, which can substantially impact patients' daily lives during acute episodes. Accordingly, rapid pain relief and restoration of normal activities are the main needs of patients during doctor visits. This study aims to assess the immediate efficacy of acupuncture combined with active exercises in rapidly relieving pain and improving movement disorders within 10 min in patients with acute stiff neck (ASN). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomised controlled clinical trial is being conducted at a single centre in China. 120 participants diagnosed with ASN will randomly be assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups: the acupuncture combined with active exercise group (group A), sham acupuncture combined with active exercise group (group B) and active exercise only group (group C). Each participant will undergo a single 10 min session. The primary outcome is the effective rate at 10 min of treatment. Secondary outcomes include the effective rate at other time points (0-1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 min), Visual Analogue Scale score and cervical range of motion. The intention-to-treat analysis will include all randomised participants. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine (2022-009). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before randomisation. The findings of this study will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200066997.