Acupuncture and Low Back Pain during Pregnancy

描述（由申请人提供）：腰痛（LBP）是一个重大的临床问题，据报道发生在60%至90%的个人。 有趣的是，大多数女性在怀孕期间都会经历第一次腰痛。现有文献表明，妊娠期腰痛（GLBP）的患病率可高达50- 90%。由GLBP引起的身体限制和疼痛对生活质量有显著的负面影响，并对我们的社会造成负担。GLBP是由子宫增大，肌腱和韧带松弛以及孕妇腰部的额外压力引起的。药理学和非药理学方式目前用于治疗女性GLBP。由于对母胎循环的担忧，药物干预在孕妇中的使用受到极大限制。目前，几种CAM疗法，如体育锻炼瑜伽，针灸，按摩疗法和脊椎按摩干预被提出作为GLBP的治疗方法。然而，关于这些干预措施实际使用的频率和这些干预措施的效力的数据很少。我们研究小组获得的大规模调查数据表明，孕妇和产前护理人员对CAM疗法非常感兴趣。作为下一步，我们的目的是一个随机对照试验，以确定耳针1周作为治疗妊娠期腰痛的治疗效果。以往的研究支持使用耳针作为肌肉骨骼疼痛的治疗。本申请中获得的数据将构成未来更大规模随机对照试验的基础，该试验研究在整个妊娠期间使用耳针干预GLBP。这些项目符合我们研究计划的长期目标，即针对各种临床问题开发各种基于穿刺的干预措施，然后根据精心进行的科学实验证明这些干预措施的有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Low back pain (LBP) is a significant clinical problem that is reported to occur in 60% to 90% of individuals. Interestingly, most women experience their first episode of low back pain during pregnancy. Existing literature indicates that the prevalence of gestational low back pain (GLBP) can be as high as 50- 90%. The physical limitation and pain caused by GLBP has a significant negative impact on the quality of life and poses a burden on our society. GLBP is caused by enlargement of uterus, loosening of tendons and ligaments, and additional stress to the low back in pregnant women. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities are currently used to treat women with GLBP. Because of concerns related to maternal-fetal circulation, the use of pharmacological interventions is significantly limited in pregnant women. Currently, several CAM therapies such as physical exercise-yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, and chiropractic interventions are proposed as treatments for GLBP. There is a paucity of data, however, with regard to the frequency at which these interventions are actually used and the efficacy of these interventions. Large-scale survey data obtained by our study group indicates that pregnant women and prenatal care providers are very much interested in CAM therapies. As a next step, we purpose a randomized-controlled-trial to determine the therapeutic effect of auricular acupuncture for 1-week as a treatment for low back pain during pregnancy. Previous studies support the use of auricular acupuncture as a treatment for musculoskeletal pain. Data obtained in this application will form the basis of a future, larger-scale, randomized controlled trial investigating the use of auricular acupuncture intervention for GLBP throughout the pregnancy period. These projects fit into the long-term goals of our research program which are to develop various acupuncture-based interventions for a wide variety of clinical problems, and then demonstrate the efficacy of these interventions based on carefully conducted scientific experiments.