Auricular acupuncture for spinal cord injury related neuropathic pain: a pilot controlled clinical trial

This study investigated whether a specific type of ear acupuncture, called Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA), could help reduce pain in people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) who experience nerve pain. Participants were divided into two groups: one group received BFA immediately, while the other group waited eight weeks before receiving BFA. Researchers then compared the pain levels between the two groups. The study found that the group receiving BFA immediately reported more pain reduction than the group that had to wait, suggesting that BFA may be a helpful treatment for SCI-related nerve pain.

• 1
  The BFA group reported significantly more pain reduction than the delayed entry group (average change in NRS at eight weeks –2.92 ± 2.11 vs. −1.13 ± 2.14, P = 0.065).
• 2
  There was a significant difference in groups when a group-by-time interaction in a mixed-effect repeated measures model (P = 0.014).
• 3
  Patient global impression of change measures at eight weeks demonstrated a significant difference between the immediate and the delayed treatment groups.