54
Participants
Start Date
November 30, 2012
Primary Completion Date
September 30, 2017
Study Completion Date
September 30, 2017
acupuncture protocol 1
Disposable, single-use, sterilized needles made of stainless steel, 0.25 x 30 mm and 0.30 x 40/50mm (Wuxi Jiajian Medical Instrument. 251226 Wuxi, China) will be inserted to a depth of 15-35 mm in some acupoints. After getting the needle sensation (de qi), some acupoints will receive electrical stimulation and the others will receive manual stimulation. All participants will receive treatment twice a week; each treatment session can be separated by an interval of 2-4 days, with a maximum of 32 treatment sessions during 16 weeks. Each treatment session lasts for 30 minutes.
Acupuncture protocol 2
Disposable, single-use, sterilized needles (0.20 x 20mm) made of stainless steel will be inserted to a depth of \<5 mm at non-acupoints without evoking the needle sensation (Deqi). Electrodes will be attached to the needles and the stimulator will be turned on at an intensity of zero (no active current) in order to mimic EA in the acupuncture protocol 1 group. No manual stimulation of the needles will be performed.
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Tongji hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan
Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine
OTHER
Hubei College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
OTHER
The University of Hong Kong
OTHER
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
OTHER