Is there a role for acupuncture in basal thumb arthritis? A randomised controlled trial of real versus sham acupuncture.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Osteoarthritis of the thumb carpometacarpal joint; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Osteoarthritis

• Registration Number: ISRCTN31227822
• Lead Sponsor: Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Brief Summary

2020 Results article in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32212888/ (added 06/05/2021)

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Completion: 2011-07-05
• Study Start: 2018-06-14
• Last Update Posted: 2 August 2021

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 70

Inclusion Criteria

1. Acupuncture-naïve
2. Newly referred to either surgical or therapist clinics at the Pulvertaft Hand Centre (PHC) with osteoarthritis of the basal thumb joint
3. Where both hands were affected, the worst affected hand according to the Nelson Hospital Questionnaire (NHQ) score was treated

Exclusion Criteria

1. Prior experience of acupuncture
2. Previous surgery to the affected thumb
3. Steroid injection to the affected joint within 12 months
4. Change in treatment to the affected thumb within 6 weeks e.g. splint/exercise regime, or ongoing changes in symptoms following such a change
5. Contraindication to acupuncture: warfarin with unstable INR, epilepsy, pregnancy, needle phobia, unstable cardiac condition or hypertension, prosthetic heart valve, vascular or neuropathic problem at the proposed site of needling
6. Inability to understand written and spoken English, or to give informed consent

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain relief was assessed using visual analogue pain scores (VAS) during an objective assessment of range of motion and strength, at pre-treatment and 1 week post-treatment.