Acupuntura como terapia integrativa da dor pélvica crônica através da técnica Punho-tornozelo modificada

Abstract

This is a prospective quasi-experimental study on the use of acupuncture as a complement to conventional medical treatment in patients with chronic pelvic pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture as an integrative therapy for chronic pelvic pain, through the modified wrist-ankle technique, and its possible influence on quality of life, anxiety, stress and depression states, on the visual analogue pain scale, and, to study the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and spiritual well-being in the state of chronic pelvic pain. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (COEP-UFMG), under registration CAAE: 57047422.7.0000.5149. Methodology: seven specific questionnaires were applied on the Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS), Quality of Life of the World Health Organization brief mode (WHOQOL-Bref), Short form 36 (SF-36), Facit-sp 12, Depression scale, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), religiosity/spirituality (DUREL) and Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES). The collected data were tabulated and submitted to analysis with the help of Python software for data analysis. Comparison before and after acupuncture was performed using non-parametric Wilcoxon tests of related samples in the same group of patients before and after acupuncture. A p-value less than or equal to 0.05 was used for the results to be considered statistically significant. Results: The assessment of quality of life using the WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire showed significant improvements in the physical, psychological and total quality of life domains, but did not show improvements in the domains of social relationships and the environment. The quality-of-life analysis measured by the SF-36 questionnaire showed significant improvements in all its domains. Statistically significant improvements were observed in states of stress, anxiety and depression measured by the DASS-21 questionnaire. The assessment of chronic pelvic pain using the VAS scale showed a significant decrease in pain. The evaluation of the religiosity/spirituality scales measured by the DUKE and DSES questionnaires, and the spiritual well-being measured by the FACIT-sp12 questionnaire did not change. Conclusions: Acupuncture as an integrative therapy for chronic pelvic pain, through the modified wrist-ankle technique, proved to be effective in reducing pain in women, with improvement in quality of life, anxiety, stress and depression. Religiosity/spirituality and spiritual well-being did not change. Keywords: Chronic pelvic pain, Complementary Therapy, Acupuncture, Quality of Life, Stress, Anxiety, Depression.