Investigate the Change in Facial Pain Threshold During Auricular Acupuncture in Healthy Volunteers
Condition: Healthy Volunteers
MeSH terms: Facial Pain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Background: The effects and biological mechanisms of auricular acupuncture on the human body
      have been increasingly observed in clinical and experimental studies, particularly the
      analgesic effects. Auricular acupuncture in the Shenmen, Nervous Subcortex, Jaw and Tooth
      groups has been shown in the Acupuncture 2 textbook of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine -
      University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City and clinical studies to be effective in
      reducing facial pain.

      This study aims to examine: (1) the change in facial pain threshold when performing auricular
      acupuncture in the acupoints of Shenmen (TF4), Nervous Subcortex (AT4), Jaw (LO3) and Tooth
      (LO1) on the left ear, (2) the change in facial pain threshold when performing auricular
      acupuncture in the acupoints of Shenmen, Nervous Subcortex, Jaw and Tooth on the right ear
      and (3) examining the unfavorable effects of the procedure.
    

Detailed description: 
      The effects and biological mechanisms of auricular acupuncture on the human body have been
      increasingly observed in clinical and experimental studies, particularly the analgesic
      effects. When the downward neurotransmitter pathway is activated, endogenous opioids (beta
      endorphins) are released, which inhibit pain perception. Furthermore, according to the gate
      control theory (spinal segmentation mechanism), auricular acupuncture aids in the activation
      of pain-suppressive stimuli by myelinated afferent fibers (Aβ), as opposed to stimuli with
      damage from poorly myelinated (Aδ) or unmyelinated (C) fibers. Besides, according to human
      physiology, the trigeminal nerve is involved in sensory control of the face, has a branching
      distribution to the skin of the pinna, and has afferent conduction of mechanical stimuli
      acting on it. Auricular acupuncture in the Shenmen, Nervous Subcortex, Jaw and Tooth groups
      has been shown in the Acupuncture 2 textbook of the Faculty of Traditional Medicine -
      University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City and clinical studies to be effective in
      reducing facial pain.

      This was the first study in Vietnam to investigate the effect of auricular acupuncture on the
      change in facial pain threshold during auricular acupuncture on acupoints such as Shenmen,
      Nervous Subcortex, Jaw and Tooth. The findings of the study can be used to supplement
      scientific evidence regarding the effects of auricular acupuncture in the treatment of
      clinical facial pain.

      The investigators performed a randomized, controlled crossover experiments. A crossover study
      has two advantages over both a parallel study and a non-crossover longitudinal study. First,
      the influence of confounding covariates is reduced because each crossover patient serves as
      their own control. In a randomized non-crossover study it is often the case that different
      treatment-groups are found to be unbalanced on some covariates. In a controlled, randomized
      crossover designs, such imbalances are implausible (unless covariates were to change
      systematically during the study). Second, optimal crossover designs are statistically
      efficient, and so require fewer subjects than do non-crossover designs (even other repeated
      measures designs). In our study, the subjects are randomly assigned to two arms of the study
      which receive different treatments. A crossover trial has a repeated measures design in which
      each patient is assigned to a sequence of two treatments, one of which is auricular
      acupuncture, and a placebo test is performed on that volunteer a week later. Wilcoxon
      sign-rank test, paired T test and Pearson's chi-squared test were used for comparison of
      means.
    

Intervention name(s): AURICULAR ACUPUNCTURE; PLACEBO
Intervention type(s): Procedure; Other
Intervention description(s): Auricular acupuncture is a method for diagnosing and treating physical and psychosomatic dysfunctions by stimulating a specific point in the ear. To conducting this intervention, the investigators use press tack needles to perform auricular acupuncture.; For this intervention, instead of needles, the investigators use four pieces of tape.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: 2-arm crossover design, randomized controlled trial.
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: Auricular Acupuncture