Acupuncture for Symptom Relief in Palliative Care-Study Protocol and Semistandardized Treatment Schemes

The Adjunctive Effect of Acupuncture for Advanced Cancer Patients in a Collaborative Model of Palliative Care: Study Protocol for a 3-Arm Randomized Trial

Background:

Cancer is the second leading cause of death before the age of 70. Improved cancer survival has put increasing demands on cancer care. Palliative care is the specialized multi-disciplinary care providing relief from the pain, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. The study aims to evaluate the adjunctive effect of acupuncture for advanced cancer patients in a collaborative model of palliative care.

Methods/Design:

This is a single-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial. One hundred twenty advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care will be randomized in a ratio of 2:1:1 to manual acupuncture plus standard care group (ASC), sham acupuncture plus standard care group (SSC), and standard care group (SC). Patients in ASC and SSC will receive 9 sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture for 3 weeks, and will be followed up for 2 months. The primary measure is the change from baseline score of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System at 3 weeks. The secondary measures include the Brief Fatigue Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, Numeric Rating Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life 15 items Questionnaire for Palliative Care.

Discussion:

The finding of this trial will provide high-quality evidence on the adjunctive effect of acupuncture to standard care on advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care.

Trial Registration:

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04398875 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04398875), Registered on 21 May 2020.

An Evaluation of the Depression Symptoms Level Using the Beck Depression Inventory Scale in Patients Receiving Acupuncture for Chronic Pain

Women respond more severely than men. Organs are living in acupuncture; vitality is provided by life energy called raw. Pathogens that interrupt the flow that blocks the raw flow form diseases. Acupuncture needles are placed in the special spot on the Bonghan channels to regulate the qi flow by electron transfer. This study made in GETAT Center, Konya Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty in 2018 between March and November, it was carried out with the approval of the ethics committee of Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Medical Faculty 2018/1252. The study design is cross sectionel study; included 46 participants of female sex who had experienced chronic pain for approximately six months. Beck depression scale was applied to both sexes with chronic pain. Acupuncture was applied in different numbers according to the severity of the pain and the reasons for the illness. Senses were first performed at intervals of once a week, then once a week, then every 15 days. Sessions lasted 20 minutes. In fact, a decrease of five units was considered clinically significant. Each patient was informed about the procedure before acupuncture and an informed consent was obtained. Before beginning the acupuncture sessions, each patient was given a participant number and the BDI was administered. The scale was discussed with each patient personally. The BDI consists of 21 questions, including questions about the participants's mood during the previous week. Significant effect of time and visual analog scale were determined on depression score.(p<0.01) Before acupuncture Beck Depression score 15.±10.28, after acupuncture score 9±6.81. Acupuncture may be effective in treating chronic pain-related depressive symptoms. Acupuncture is a method that does not have any reliable side effects which can be applied in depressive symptoms in chronic pain patients. Comparative controlled studies are needed in patients with and without acupuncture.