Virtual Reality Guided Acupuncture Imagery Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain

Purpose

Testing the effect of Virtual Reality - guided imagery acupuncture

Condition

  • Chronic Low-back Pain

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 75 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Volunteers 18-75 years of age. - Meet the Classification Criteria of chronic LBP (having low back pain for more than 6 months), as determined by the referring physician. - At least 4/10 clinical pain on the 11-point LBP intensity scale. - Must have had a prior evaluation of their low back pain by a health care provider, which may have included radiographic studies. Documentation of this evaluation will be sought from Partners or outside medical records and kept in the subject's research record. - At least a 10th grade English-reading level; English can be a second language provided that the patients feel they understand all the questions used in the assessment measures.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Specific causes of back pain (e.g. cancer, fractures, infections), - Complicated back problems (e.g. prior back surgery, medico legal issues), - Possible contraindications for acupuncture (e.g. coagulation disorders, cardiac pacemakers, pregnancy, seizure disorder), and conditions that might confound longitudinal effects or interpretation of results (e.g. severe fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis). - Conditions making study participation difficult (eg, paralysis, psychoses, or other severe psychological problems as per the judgment of a study investigator during Session 1) - The intent to undergo surgery during the time of involvement in the study. - Unresolved medical legal/disability/workers compensation claims in connection with low back pain. - Lacking the capacity to consent for oneself - Do not have access to zoom or other software regularly to complete the study.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
subject will be randomized to 2 groups
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Virtual Reality - guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VRGAIT)
  • Other: Virtual reality guided imagery acupuncture treatment (VRGAIT)
    Subject watching Virtual reality video of acupuncture needle stimulation
Active Comparator
Virtual Reality -guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VRGAIT) Control
  • Other: Virtual reality guided imagery acupuncture treatment control
    Subject watching VR video of swab touching

Recruiting Locations

Lucy Chen
Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
Contact:
Lucy L. Chen
6177243466
llchen@mgh.harvard.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital

Study Contact

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to develop a Virtual Reality guided acupuncture imagery treatment system for the treatment of chronic low back pain. This product will provide a new cost-effective treatment option for chronic low back pain and potentially other chronic pain disorders.