title: A randomized trial of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation as adjunctive treatment for opioid detoxification.
abstract: 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.
authors: Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, USA. christina.meade@duke.edu
authors: Christina S
authors: CS
authors: Meade
authors: Scott E
authors: SE
authors: Lukas
authors: Leah J
authors: LJ
authors: McDonald
authors: Garrett M
authors: GM
authors: Fitzmaurice
authors: Jessica A
authors: JA
authors: Eldridge
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Merrill
authors: Roger D
authors: RD
authors: Weiss
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D002047:Buprenorphine