Treatment of Complaints Following Sports Injuries With Traditional Chinese Medicine

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this observational study is to investigate the treatment of complaints following sports injuries with Traditional Chinese Medicine by therapists in Switzerland.

Detailed Description
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In Switzerland, still very little is known about the treatment with TCM (acupuncture, Chinese medicinal therapy, Tuina massage, nutrition, qigong) under everyday conditions. The importance of non-medical therapists in the healthcare system is rarely investigated. It is likely that patients with chronic injuries use several therapies (including conventional medicine) in a pragmatic way. They may apply TCM either due to primary preference or because other forms of therapy fail to produce satisfactory results. There is evidence from randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews that acupuncture can be effective in the treatment of acute and chronic back pain, chronic shoulder pain and ankle sprains. Randomized controlled trials usually investigate a single TCM method, in which therapists or physicians are limited in the selection of acupuncture points or herbal formulas. This does not reflect the complex practice, where several TCM methods and auxiliary techniques are combined. The investigators aim to investigate in a prospective observational study how complaints following sports injuries are treated by non-medical TCM therapists in Switzerland under everyday conditions.

Official Title
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Treatment of Acute and Chronic Complaints Following Sports Injuries With Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by Therapists in Switzerland - a Prospective Observational Study

Conditions
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Athletic Injuries

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: TCM treatment


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 18 years or older minimum of 3 hours sports per week complaints following sports injury first TCM treatment for this complaint Exclusion Criteria: rheumatic disease arthrosis previous TCM treatment for this complaint

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| TCM treatment<br>TCM treatment (e.g. acupuncture, Tuina massage, Chinese herbal medicine, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, ear acupuncture) | Other: TCM treatment<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| change in minimal and maximal pain | visual analogue scale (0-10) | first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) | 
| change in limitation during sports | visual analogue scale (0-10) | first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| medication intake |  | first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) | 
| patient satisfaction with therapy | 6 point Likert scale | 6 months | 
| number of therapeutic sessions |  | 3 months | 
| TCM methods applied |  | 3 months |