An Investigation into the Possible Additive Effects of Acupuncture and Autogenic Relaxation in the Management of Chronic Pain

1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
M El Rakshy ◽  
C Weston
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Additive Effects ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Perceived Pain ◽  
Autogenic Relaxation ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Tape Group

This randomised, controlled trial investigates the use of concomitant relaxation during acupuncture treatment for pain. Twenty seven patients attending an out-patient acupuncture clinic with chronic pain of various origins were asked to listen to a tape either of music or of autogenic relaxation suggestions during acupuncture treatment. Measurements pre and post treatment were taken of perceived pain, and comparisons between the two tape uses and a no tape group was made. Whilst no significant difference was found between the methods, a trend towards benefit from the use of an autogenic relaxation tape during acupuncture treatment was shown. Further research is planned.

Capsular closure versus unrepaired interportal capsulotomy after hip arthroscopy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement, results of a patient-blinded randomised controlled trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 112070002110057
Author(s):  
Niels H Bech ◽  
Inger N Sierevelt ◽  
Sheryl de Waard ◽  
Boudijn S H Joling ◽  
Gino M M J Kerkhoffs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Femoroacetabular Impingement ◽  
Hip Arthroscopy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Treatment Groups ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Background: Hip capsular management after hip arthroscopy remains a topic of debate. Most available current literature is of poor quality and are retrospective or cohort studies. As of today, no clear consensus exists on capsular management after hip arthroscopy. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of routine capsular closure versus unrepaired capsulotomy after interportal capsulotomy measured with NRS pain and the Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS). Materials and methods: All eligible patients with femoroacetabular impingement who opt for hip arthroscopy ( n = 116) were randomly assigned to one of both treatment groups and were operated by a single surgeon. Postoperative pain was measured with the NRS score weekly the first 12 weeks after surgery. The HAGOS questionnaire was measured at 12 and 52 weeks postoperatively. Results: Baseline characteristics and operation details were comparable between treatment groups. Regarding the NRS pain no significant difference was found between groups at any point the first 12 weeks after surgery ( p = 0.67). Both groups significantly improved after surgery ( p < 0.001). After 3 months follow-up there were no differences between groups for the HAGOS questionnaire except for the domain sport ( p = 0.02) in favour of the control group. After 12 months follow-up there were no differences between both treatment groups on all HAGOS domains ( p  > 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this randomised controlled trial show highest possible evidence that there is no reason for routinely capsular closure after interportal capsulotomy at the end of hip arthroscopy. Trial Registration: This trial was registered at the CCMO Dutch Trial Register: NL55669.048.15.

scholarly journals The Effects of Time-Restricted Eating versus Standard Dietary Advice on Weight, Metabolic Health and the Consumption of Processed Food: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial in Community-Based Adults

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1042
Author(s):  
Nicholas Phillips ◽  
Julie Mareschal ◽  
Nathalie Schwab ◽  
Emily Manoogian ◽  
Sylvie Borloz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Metabolic Health ◽  
Dietary Advice ◽  
Processed Food ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial

Weight loss is key to controlling the increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components, i.e., central obesity, hypertension, prediabetes and dyslipidaemia. The goals of our study were two-fold. First, we characterised the relationships between eating duration, unprocessed and processed food consumption and metabolic health. During 4 weeks of observation, 213 adults used a smartphone application to record food and drink consumption, which was annotated for food processing levels following the NOVA classification. Low consumption of unprocessed food and low physical activity showed significant associations with multiple MS components. Second, in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial, we compared the metabolic benefits of 12 h time-restricted eating (TRE) to standard dietary advice (SDA) in 54 adults with an eating duration > 14 h and at least one MS component. After 6 months, those randomised to TRE lost 1.6% of initial body weight (SD 2.9, p = 0.01), compared to the absence of weight loss with SDA (−1.1%, SD 3.5, p = 0.19). There was no significant difference in weight loss between TRE and SDA (between-group difference −0.88%, 95% confidence interval −3.1 to 1.3, p = 0.43). Our results show the potential of smartphone records to predict metabolic health and highlight that further research is needed to improve individual responses to TRE such as a shorter eating window or its actual clock time.

scholarly journals Pharmacist-led management of chronic pain in primary care: costs and benefits in a pilot randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e006874-e006874 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Neilson ◽  
H. Bruhn ◽  
C. M. Bond ◽  
A. M. Elliott ◽  
B. H. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Care Costs

scholarly journals Evaluating the effectiveness of a group-based resilience intervention versus psychoeducation for emergency responders in England: A randomised controlled trial

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241704
Author(s):  
Jennifer Wild ◽  
Shama El-Salahi ◽  
Michelle Degli Esposti ◽  
Graham R. Thew
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Emergency Responders ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Resilience Intervention

Background Emergency responders are routinely exposed to traumatic critical incidents and other occupational stressors that place them at higher risk of mental ill health compared to the general population. There is some evidence to suggest that resilience training may improve emergency responders’ wellbeing and related health outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a tertiary service resilience intervention compared to psychoeducation for improving psychological outcomes among emergency workers. Methods We conducted a multicentre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial. Minim software was used to randomly allocate police, ambulance, fire, and search and rescue services personnel, who were not suffering from depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, to Mind’s group intervention or to online psychoeducation on a 3:1 basis. The resilience intervention was group-based and included stress management and mindfulness tools for reducing stress. It was delivered by trained staff at nine centres across England in six sessions, one per week for six weeks. The comparison intervention was psychoeducation about stress and mental health delivered online, one module per week for six weeks. Primary outcomes were assessed by self-report and included wellbeing, resilience, self-efficacy, problem-solving, social capital, confidence in managing mental health, and number of days off work due to illness. Follow-up was conducted at three months. Blinding of participants, researchers and outcome assessment was not possible due to the type of interventions. Results A total of 430 participants (resilience intervention N = 317; psychoeducation N = 113) were randomised and included in intent-to-treat analyses. Linear Mixed-Effects Models did not show a significant difference between the interventions, at either the post-intervention or follow-up time points, on any outcome measure. Conclusions The limited success of this intervention is consistent with the wider literature. Future refinements to the intervention may benefit from targeting predictors of resilience and mental ill health. Trial registration ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN79407277.

scholarly journals Email-based promotion of self-help for subthreshold depression: Mood Memos randomised controlled trial

2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (5) ◽  
pp. 412-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J. Morgan ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm ◽  
Andrew J. Mackinnon
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Active Group ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Number Needed To Treat ◽  
Subthreshold Depression ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BackgroundSubthreshold depression is common, impairs functioning and increases the risk of major depression. Improving self-help coping strategies could help subthreshold depression and prevent major depression.AimsTo test the effectiveness of an automated email-based campaign promoting self-help behaviours.MethodA randomised controlled trial was conducted through the website: www.moodmemos.com. Participants received automated emails twice weekly for 6 weeks containing advice about self-help strategies. Emails containing general information about depression served as a control. The principal outcome was depression symptom level on the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (trial registration: ACTRN12609000925246).ResultsThe study recruited 1326 adults with subthreshold depression. There was a small significant difference in depression symptoms at post-intervention, favouring the active group (d = 0.17, 95% CI 0.01–0.34). There was a lower, although non-significant, risk of major depression in the active group (number needed to treat (NNT) 25, 95% CI 11 to ∞ to NNT(harm) 57).ConclusionsEmails promoting self-help strategies were beneficial. Internet delivery of self-help messages affords a low-cost, easily disseminated and highly automated approach for indicated prevention of depression.

Developing and Validating a Sham Acupuncture Needle

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Tough ◽  
Adrian R White ◽  
Suzanne H Richards ◽  
Brian Lord ◽  
John L Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Trigger Point ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Previous Experience ◽  
Credibility Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Sham Intervention ◽  
Sham Acupuncture Group ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Objectives To develop a sham needle device and test its credibility as a control for acupuncture when used in a randomised controlled trial of myofascial trigger point needling in patients with whiplash associated pain. Methods Sham needles were developed by blunting true acupuncture needles. Whiplash injured patients (<16 weeks duration) were randomly allocated to receive either true acupuncture or the “placebo” sham needle control. The true and sham needling interventions were delivered using the same standardised procedure. Patients were informed that they would receive either real or placebo needles, and asked (i) to state which treatment they believed they had received (treatment belief); (ii) to complete the four item Borkovec and Nau self-assessment credibility scale. Results were compared between groups and the analysis explored whether a patient's previous experience of acupuncture was related to their treatment belief. Other outcomes of the study will be reported elsewhere. Results 20 patients received the true acupuncture and 21 received the sham. There was no significant difference between the treatment beliefs of the two groups (χ 2 = 1.51; p>0.2) nor in the mean item scores on the Borkovec and Nau credibility scale (t test, p values ranged from 0.38 to 0.87). Of the patients in the sham acupuncture group who had previous experience of acupuncture, none recorded receiving the sham intervention. Conclusion Within the context of this pilot study, the sham acupuncture intervention was found to be a credible control for acupuncture. This supports its use in a planned, definitive, randomised controlled trial on a similar whiplash injured population.

Abstract TP233: Are Baseline Characteristics of Stroke Patients Included Into an Observational Study Similar to Patients Included Into a Randomised Controlled Trial?

Stroke ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Schulte ◽  
Falko Jürries ◽  
Anna Messerschmid ◽  
Nico Behnke ◽  
Jan Liman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Observational Trial ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Introduction: Undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (UAF) is a major burden in ischemic stroke. However, randomised trials have partly shown astonishingly low AF detection rates (e. g. in the CRYSTAL-AF study). This may be due to differences in baseline and stroke characteristics between studies. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that stroke patients in a randomised controlled trial have less severe strokes than patients in an observational trial with similar inclusion and exclusion criteria. Methods: We used data from the Find-AF observational (NCT 01855035) and the Find-AF randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN 46104198). We included only patients at study site Goettingen of the Find-AF randomised controlled trial (n=153) and only included patients from the Find-AF observational trial that fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria of Find-AF randomised (n=90). We compared baseline characteristics of screened versus included patients in Find-AF randomised and baseline characteristics and stroke severity parameters between both studies. Data are shown as mean (Standard Deviation) or Median (25%; 75% percentile) and were compared by chi-square, t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Table 1 shows as comparison between baseline characteristics of both studies Comparing patients fulfilling the inclusion/exclusion criteria of Find-AF randomised, but unwilling to give informed consent to randomised patients showed a significant difference in age (77 ± 11 vs. 74 ± 8; p< 0.001), but no difference in gender (p=0.581). Conclusions: Both studies included patients similar in age, gender and many comorbidities. Major differences occurred in NIHSS and MRS. As NIHSS is a predictor of atrial fibrillation, randomized controlled trials investigating AF detection should include a minimum NIHSS to avoid a selection bias towards less severe strokes.

scholarly journals Contamination and washing of cloth masks and risk of infection among hospital health workers in Vietnam: a post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e042045
Author(s):  
Chandini Raina MacIntyre ◽  
Tham Chi Dung ◽  
Abrar Ahmad Chughtai ◽  
Holly Seale ◽  
Bayzidur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Viral Contamination ◽  
Post Hoc Analysis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Post Hoc

BackgroundIn a previous randomised controlled trial (RCT) in hospital healthcare workers (HCWs), cloth masks resulted in a higher risk of respiratory infections compared with medical masks. This was the only published RCT of cloth masks at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectiveTo do a post hoc analysis of unpublished data on mask washing and mask contamination from the original RCT to further understand poor performance of the two-layered cotton cloth mask used by HCWs in that RCT.Setting14 secondary-level/tertiary-level hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam.ParticipantsA subgroup of 607 HCWs aged ≥18 years working full time in selected high-risk wards, who used a two-layered cloth mask and were part of a randomised controlled clinical trial comparing medical masks and cloth masks.InterventionWashing method for cloth masks (self-washing or hospital laundry). A substudy of contamination of a sample of 15 cloth and medical masks was also conducted.Outcome measureInfection rate over 4 weeks of follow up and viral contamination of masks tested by multiplex PCR.ResultsViral contamination with rhinovirus was identified on both used medical and cloth masks. Most HCW (77% of daily washing) self-washed their masks by hand. The risk of infection was more than double among HCW self-washing their masks compared with the hospital laundry (HR 2.04 (95% CI 1.03 to 4.00); p=0.04). There was no significant difference in infection between HCW who wore cloth masks washed in the hospital laundry compared with medical masks (p=0.5).ConclusionsUsing self-reported method of washing, we showed double the risk of infection with seasonal respiratory viruses if masks were self-washed by hand by HCWs. The majority of HCWs in the study reported hand-washing their mask themselves. This could explain the poor performance of two layered cloth masks, if the self-washing was inadequate. Cloth masks washed in the hospital laundry were as protective as medical masks. Both cloth and medical masks were contaminated, but only cloth masks were reused in the study, reiterating the importance of daily washing of reusable cloth masks using proper method. A well-washed cloth mask can be as protective as a medical mask.Trial resgistration numberACTRN12610000887077.

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