Auricular acupuncture as a treatment for pregnant women who have low back and posterior pelvic pain: a pilot study

Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, San Francisco, CA, Oct. 13-17, 2007.

Received 19 November 2008; received in revised form 6 March 2009; accepted 16 April 2009. published online 29 June 2009.

Objective

The primary aim of this study was to examine whether 1 week of continuous auricular acupuncture could reduce low back and posterior pelvic pain associated with pregnancy.

Study Design

A randomized controlled trial was conducted on pregnant women who have lower back and posterior pelvic pain. These women were randomly assigned into an acupuncture group, a sham acupuncture group, or a waiting list control group. All participants were monitored for 2 weeks.

Results

Baseline and day 7 showed significant group differences in pain (F = 15; P < .0001) and in the disability rating index score (F = 7; P < .0001). The participants in the acupuncture group reported a significant reduction of pain and improvement of functional status as compared with those in the sham acupuncture and control groups.

Conclusion

One week of continuous auricular acupuncture decreases the pain and disability experienced by women with pregnancy-related low back and posterior pelvic pain.

Key words: auricular acupuncture, pain relief, pregnancy, pregnancy-related low back pain and posterior pelvic pain

a Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

b Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

c Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

d Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

e Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

f Women's Education and Life Learning Center, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT

g Departments of Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Human Behavior, University of California School of Medicine, Irvine, CA

Reprints: Shu-Ming Wang, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208051, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06520-8051

Cite this article as: Wang S-M, DeZinno P, Lin EC, et al. Auricular acupuncture as a treatment for pregnant women who have low back and posterior pelvic pain: a pilot study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;201:271.e1-9.

This study was supported by National Center for the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Grant R21 AT001613-03.

PII: S0002-9378(09)00424-4

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2009.04.028

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