Auriculotherapy Treatment Protocol for Low-Back Pain: A Randomized Trial

Abstract

Background: The author developed an auriculotherapy treatment protocol to produce efficient pain relief in people with low-back pain. This treatment protocol is based on brain plasticity and integration of postural control information that can be modulated by auriculotherapy. This treatment has been developed and taught in the United States, Europe, Canada, and South America for many years. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of verum auriculotherapy versus placebo treatment on patients with low-back pain. Methods: To demonstrate the efficacy of this protocol, the author tested it, treating a maximum of five specific auriculotherapy points that stimulated in each ear pavilion. Stimulation was produced by an electrical current. The trial included 12 male patients who had low-back pain, who were divided into two groups of 6 patients each. The effects on group 1 (treatment of points that did not correspond with affected areas; i.e., placebo) and group 2 (treatment of points corresponding with painful areas; i.e., verum treatment). Results: Group 2 (verum treatment) experienced a rapid and significant attenuation of pain in several minutes (a visual analogue score [VAS] average decrease of pain: −4.3; p-value<0.002) and an immediate increase of lumbar flexibility as evaluated by the Schöber test (an average increase of lumbar flexibility of 2 cm, p-value 0.003). There was no effect on group 1 (placebo), which had an average score of −0.6 on the VAS with a p-value>0.28 and an 0.1-cm of lumbar flexibility increase, with a p-value>0.74 during the placebo treatment. Conclusions: The length of pain relied varied among patients in group 2 and was not dependent on the purported cause of the postural syndrome. This effect could last for hours, weeks, months or longer. This auriculotherapy protocol is effective for decreasing pain and increasing lumbar flexibility in patients who have low-back pain.