Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Pain After Spinal Surgery

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Pain Management

• Registration Number: NCT07197710
• Lead Sponsor: Jingping Wang, MD, Ph.D.

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether imagined acupuncture can reduce postoperative acute pain in adult patients undergoing spinal surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does video-guided imagined acupuncture improve postoperative pain control?

Does the intervention reduce opioid consumption and improve functional recovery in the immediate postoperative period?

Researchers will compare the imagined acupuncture group to the control education video group to see if imagery-based intervention leads to better pain outcomes and reduced analgesic use.

Participants will:

Watch a 30-minute video once daily for 7 consecutive days after surgery

Complete pain and function assessments during the hospital stay and postoperative follow-up

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-09
• Study First Submitted: 2025-09-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-09-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-09-25
• Study First Posted: 2025-09-29
• Last Update Posted: 2025-09-29
• Study Start: 2025-10-01
• Primary Completion: 2026-09-19
• Study Completion: 2026-09-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 120

Inclusion Criteria

• Undergoing 1- to 2-level primary spine surgery
• Aged 18 years or older
• Willing and able to receive postoperative imagined acupuncture (VGAIT)
• Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Undergoing revision surgery or procedures involving more than 3 spinal levels
• History of prior spinal surgery
• Intraoperative complications likely to interfere with postoperative pain assessment
• Diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorders that impair participation or communication
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Unable to cooperate with treatment or pain assessments Individuals with uncorrectable vision impairment that would interfere with viewing study videos or completing study questionnaires.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain Scores (VAS)	During the first postoperative week (Days 0-6)	Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) daily, including VAS at rest, VAS on movement
2) Functional Scores (ODI)	On postoperative Day6	Functional status will be evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
3) Rescue Opioid Consumption	On postoperative Day6	The total amount of rescue opioid medication used during the first postoperative week will be recorded in milligrams (oral and intravenous)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
1) Time to First Rescue Analgesia	On postoperative Day6	The exact time (in hours and minutes) from the end of surgery to the administration of the first rescue analgesic will be recorded
4) Adverse Effects	On postoperative Day6	Incidence of treatment-related side effects, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, respiratory depression, urinary retention, ileus, or any other reported complications.
2) Total Analgesic Consumption	On postoperative Day6	The cumulative amount of all pain medications (opioid and non-opioid, oral and intravenous) administered within 7 days postoperatively, recorded in milligrams.
3) Length of Hospital Stay	On postoperative Day6	Measured as the number of days from the date of surgery to the date of hospital discharge.
5) Additional Assessment Tools	On postoperative Day6	RCSQ: Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire