Longitudinal changes in the disability level of the elders with low back pain after auriculotherapy

Objective: To evaluate the longitudinal changes in the disability level of elders with LBP after receiving auriculotherapy. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Settings: Sixty participants who were 60 years old or above and who were suffering from LBP were recruited from five hostels for the elders in Hong Kong. Interventions: The participants were randomly allocated to receive a 3-week session of auriculotherapy using either semen vaccariae (control group = 30) or magnetic pellets (experimental group = 30). Seven auricular acupoints that are expected to have an effect on LBP were selected. Main outcome measures: Assessment data were collected at five points of time: (i) baseline, (ii) about 1.5 weeks of treatment, (iii) 3 weeks of treatment, (iv) 2 weeks post-treatment, and (v) 4 weeks post-treatment using the modified Aberdeen low back pain disability scale (Chinese). Results: When the rate of change was compared between the two groups at each point of time starting from the baseline, those in the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in the overall disability level, pain/sensation, and physical and functional abilities at 1.5 weeks of treatment (p < 0.001), 3 weeks of treatment (p < 0.001), 2 weeks post-treatment (p < 0.001), and 4 weeks post-treatment (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Longitudinal changes in the improvement of disability level were found among the elders with low back pain after receiving auriculotherapy using magnetic pellets.