Recruiting

Battlefield Acupuncture

Sponsor:

Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital

Code:

NCT06128772

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Substance Use Disorders

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Battlefield Acupuncture

Study Details

Brief summary:

This research study will evaluate the effectiveness of utilizing Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) on veterans with with a history of substance use disorder and chronic pain for 8 weeks.

Primary Aim: The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using BFA to treat chronic pain in veterans with a history of substance use disorder.

Secondary Aim: This study will also evaluate the impact that BFA treatment for pain may have on subjects' stress, mood and sleep patterns over 8 weeks. In addition, each subject will be complete behavioral research tools to measure: depression, anxiety, and substance use at 3 different points in this study.

Hypothesis: The use of BFA on veterans with chronic pain will decrease their pain and substance use and improve their quality of life.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Substance Use Disorders

Study ID

NCT06128772

Start date

Dec 30, 2023

Status verified date

Aug, 2024

Completion date

Dec 30, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 30, 2025

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria: Eligibility criteria include:

  • they are 18 years or older
  • they have a history of substance use disorder,
  • history of chronic pain
  • availability to participate in the study for 16 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • female veterans who are pregnant.
  • history of bleeding disorders or currently on older blood thinning medications that cause excessive bleeding.
  • currently being treated for an active infection of the outer ear (relative contraindication). -- currently have a PICC line in their body or are receiving IV antibiotics.
  • fear of needles/tacks, and/or
  • undiagnosed pain complaint

Study Design

Enrollment

125 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

other: Waitlist control

Eight weeks of waitlist control and then 8 weeks of weekly treatment

other: Immediate treatment

Eight weeks of weekly treatment and then eight weeks of follow up

Interventions

Battlefield Acupuncture

5 points of acupuncture treatment in each ear weekly for 8 weeks

Primary outcome measure

  • Acupuncture questionnaire evaluating chronic pain levels [ Time Frame: 8 weeks of treatment, 8 weeks of post treatment follow-up ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Cathy M St Pierre, PhD

781-687-2983Cathy.StPierre@va.gov

Locations

Bedford VA Healthcare System

Recruiting

Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, 01730

Contacts

Cathy St Pierre, PhD,APRN

781-687-2983Cathy.StPierre@va.gov

Alexandra Howard, BS

781-687-3162Alexandra.Howard@va.gov

More Information

Sponsor

Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital

Last update posted

Aug 28, 2024

Last verified

Aug, 2024

Keywords

  • Veterans
  • chronic pain
  • Substance Use History
  • Battlefield Acupuncture

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital on 2024-08-28.