A randomized trial of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation as adjunctive treatment for opioid detoxification.
This pilot study tested the effectiveness of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as an adjunctive treatment for inpatients receiving opioid detoxification with buprenorphine-naloxone at a private psychiatric hospital. Participants (N = 48) were randomly assigned to active or sham TEAS and received three 30-minute treatments daily for 3 to 4 days. In active TEAS, current was set to maximal tolerable intensity (8-15 mA); in sham TEAS, it was set to 1 mA. By 2 weeks postdischarge, participants in active TEAS were less likely to have used any drugs (35% vs. 77%, p < .05). They also reported greater improvements in pain interference (F = 4.52, p < .05) and physical health (F = 4.84, p < .01) over time. TEAS is an acceptable, inexpensive adjunctive treatment that is feasible to implement on an inpatient unit and may be a beneficial adjunct to pharmacological treatments for opioid detoxification.
Meade
Christina S
CS
Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, USA. christina.meade@duke.edu
Lukas
Scott E
SE
McDonald
Leah J
LJ
Fitzmaurice
Garrett M
GM
Eldridge
Jessica A
JA
Merrill
Nancy
N
Weiss
Roger D
RD
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D002047:Buprenorphine