Acupuncture and Low Back Pain during Pregnancy

描述(申请人提供)：腰痛(LBP)是一个重要的临床问题，据报道发生在60%到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，妊娠期下腰痛(GLBP)的患病率可高达50%-90%。GLBP造成的身体限制和疼痛对生活质量产生了重大的负面影响，给我们的社会带来了负担。GLBP是由孕妇子宫增大、肌腱和韧带松动以及腰部额外压力引起的。目前，药理学和非药理学方法都被用于治疗GLBP妇女。由于对母婴循环的担忧，药物干预措施在孕妇中的使用受到极大限制。目前，GLBP的治疗方法有几种，如体育锻炼-瑜伽、针灸、推拿疗法和脊椎按摩干预。然而，关于这些干预措施的实际使用频率和这些干预措施的效力，数据很少。我们课题组获得的大规模调查数据表明，孕妇和产前护理提供者对CAM疗法非常感兴趣。下一步，我们计划进行一项随机对照试验，以确定耳针治疗妊娠期下腰痛的疗效。以前的研究支持使用耳针作为肌肉骨骼疼痛的治疗方法。在这项申请中获得的数据将构成未来更大规模的随机对照试验的基础，调查在整个妊娠期使用耳针干预GLBP的情况。这些项目符合我们研究计划的长期目标，即为各种各样的临床问题开发各种基于针灸的干预措施，然后在仔细进行的科学实验的基础上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.