Clinical trial NCT03478800: Acupuncture in Adolescent Football Players
Official title: The Feasibility and Effects of Acupuncture on Muscle Soreness and Sense of Well-being in an Adolescent Football Population.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Acupuncture Therapy
Sports Medicine
Lead sponsor: Mayo Clinic
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-03-27
Enrollment: 42
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 13
Maximum age (years): 18
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Is it feasible to perform acupuncture in the training field after sport performance in adolescent football players?

Does acupuncture provide a decrease in muscle soreness and improvement in overall sense of well-being in the adolescent football population?

Detailed description: Previous studies on the effects of acupuncture on performance and post-exercise recovery have shown that it reduces perceived pain arising from exercise induced muscle soreness and reduces muscle spasm. Acupuncture has also been shown to serve as an adjunct to improve muscle strength training and to accelerate recovery from workouts and injury.

The investigators' goal is to study approximately 50 high school football players in their true pre-season warm weather training environment. The investigators will measure the effects of acupuncture treatment on muscle soreness and overall sense of well-being by administering pre- and post-treatment surveys. Athletes will undergo five treatment sessions over the course of 2.5 weeks. The treatments will be performed by licensed acupuncturists employed at Mayo Clinic. The study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at the Mayo Clinic.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria

1. Male or female members of the two local high school football teams
2. Age 13-18 years
3. No current musculoskeletal injuries
4. Generally healthy individuals who plan to complete the season barring injury or other unexpected events.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Acupuncture treatment within the past year
2. Known active musculoskeletal injury or condition, immunocompromised state, prosthetic heart valve, pregnancy or known history of bleeding disorder.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in muscle soreness after post-exercise acupuncture therapy
timeFrame: immediately before and after acupuncture during the study period (2.5 weeks)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Sense of well-being
timeFrame: immediately before and after acupuncture, during the study period (2.5 weeks)
Other outcomes:
measure: Presence or absence of side effects from acupuncture treatment
timeFrame: immediately before and after acupuncture, during the study period (2.5 weeks)
measure: Overall experience and willingness to recommend or consider acupuncture in the future.
timeFrame: immediately before and after acupuncture, during the study period (2.5 weeks)
Locations:
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: Mayo Clinic in Rochester
state: Minnesota
Study officials:
affiliation: Mayo Clinic
name: Edward R Laskowski
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Luetmer MT, Do A, Canzanello NC, Bauer BA, Laskowski ER. The Feasibility and Effects of Acupuncture on Muscle Soreness and Sense of Well-being in an Adolescent Football Population. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2019 Nov;98(11):964-970. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001226.