Design and Rationale of a Comparative Effectiveness Study to Evaluate Two Acupuncture Methods for the Treatment of Headaches Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury

摘要

Background: Exposure to deployment and battle can induce a constellation of physical, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral symptoms, also referred to as war-related Trauma Spectrum Response (wrTSR). One prevalent cause of this response is traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its ensuing sequelae, such as pain and suffering caused by post-traumatic headache. Current pharmacologic treatment of these headaches is often inadequate and complicated by the multi-component nature of wrTSR. Acupuncture has been found to reduce pain, improve health-related quality of life, prevent migraine headaches, and reduce tension-type and chronic daily headaches.Objective: An ongoing study is endeavoring to advance understanding of the speed and depth of healing induced by two acupuncture approaches, compared to current standard practice and with the aim of providing insights to guide future implementation of acupuncture treatment in the military.Design: A comparative effectiveness study protocol will be used to determine if auricular acupuncture (AA) or semi-standardized traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) alleviates headaches and reduces associated co-morbidities more effectively than usual care alone in a cohort of active duty military personnel with mild-to-moderate TBI.Summary: Given that the study is currently underway, no results or conclusions can be reported at present. While current evidence from acupuncture research demonstrates its promising healing impact across the wrTSR, a number of unanswered questions and information gaps remain. It is hoped that the proposed study will address some of these questions and gaps.