Clinical Trial: Treatment of Complaints Following Sports Injuries With Traditional Chinese Medicine

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Observational

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

Brief Summary: 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 Summary:

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.


Sponsor: Sabine Klein

Current Primary Outcome:

  • change in minimal and maximal pain [ Time Frame: first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) ]
    visual analogue scale (0-10)
  • change in limitation during sports [ Time Frame: first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) ]
    visual analogue scale (0-10)


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • medication intake [ Time Frame: first treatment, last treatment (max. 3 months) ]
  • patient satisfaction with therapy [ Time Frame: 6 months ]
    6 point Likert scale
  • number of therapeutic sessions [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
  • TCM methods applied [ Time Frame: 3 months ]


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Swiss Professional Organization for Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dates:
Date Received: March 20, 2016
Date Started: April 2016
Date Completion: June 2019
Last Updated: May 1, 2017
Last Verified: May 2017