Many older adults who participate in acupuncture research may have prior experience with acupuncture, according to an analysis of data from the BackInAction trial. The finding has implications for the design and conduct of future pragmatic clinical trials involving acupuncture.
BackInAction, an NIH Collaboratory Trial, is testing strategies for the delivery of acupuncture to older patients with chronic low back pain. Learn more about BackInAction.
The researchers used data from baseline interviews at 1 of 4 trial sites to characterize participants’ prior experience with acupuncture and their views toward the practice. They also compared clinical and sociodemographic characteristics between participants who had acupuncture experience and those who did not.
Nearly two-thirds of the participants reported they had previously received acupuncture treatment, mostly for pain-related care. There were no significant differences in clinical and sociodemographic characteristics between participants with prior acupuncture and those without. The researchers concluded that it may be more feasible for future pragmatic trials to use an expanded definition of “acupuncture-naïve” in inclusion criteria.
BackInAction is supported through the NIH HEAL Initiative by a grant administered by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).