Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Sep;201(3):271.e1-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2009.04.028. Epub 2009 Jun 26.

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

Shu-Ming Wang  1 , Peggy Dezinno, Eric C Lin, Haiqun Lin, James J Yue, Michael R Berman, Ferne Braveman, Zeev N Kain
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

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

Shu-Ming Wang et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep.

Abstract

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.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The press needle-semi-permanent needles
Figure 2
Figure 2
The locations of auricular acupuncture points
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trial flow chart
Figure 4
Figure 4
The level of pain at baseline and Day 7
Figure 5
Figure 5
The functional status at baseline and Day 7
Figure 6
Figure 6
The therapeutic effect of 1-week intervention
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Data adopted from the National Institutes of Neurological disorders and stroke. www.ninds.nih.gov.
    1. Ostgaard HC, Anderson GBJ, Karlson K. Prevalence of back pain in pregnancy. Spine. 1991;16:95–101. - PubMed
    1. Wang SM, Dezinno P, Maranets I, et al. Low back pain during pregnancy: prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes. Obstet Gyn. 2004;104:65–70. - PubMed
    1. Norén L, Ostgaard S, Johansson G, Ostgaard HC. Lumbar back and posterior pelvic pain during pregnancy: a 3-year follow-up. Eur Spine J. 2002;11:267–71. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Synsjo A, Sydsjo G, Wijma B. High Sick leave during pregnancy in an extensive compensation system. Lakartidningen. 1989;86:4141–4. - PubMed

Publication types