Study of Dragons Acupuncture Protocol to Reduce Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women Aged 21 to 65 Comparison With Standard Pain Treatments at Nellis Air Force Base

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether acupuncture, specifically the Dragons protocol, can help reduce chronic pelvic pain in women aged 21 to 65. This study focuses on non-endometriosis pelvic pain and includes women both with and without a history of sexual assault. The Dragons protocol acupuncture aims to address both physical pain and emotional trauma by combining external and internal acupuncture treatments to reprocess traumatic memories and potentially calm the nervous system. Participants will first undergo 4 weeks of standard pain care such as physical therapy, psychotherapy, or usual medical management. Then, the same women will receive acupuncture treatments once weekly for 4 weeks using the Dragons protocol. The acupuncture involves placing needles on both the back external dragons and front internal dragons of the body during each session, aiming to balance traumatic memories and pain responses. Throughout the study, participants will complete pain assessments using the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale DVPRS and the Female Genitourinary Pain Index GUPI at multiple visits from week 0 to week 11. Women with a history of sexual trauma will also complete the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 PCL-5 to evaluate changes in PTSD symptoms. Visits include screening, baseline, weekly acupuncture sessions, and follow-ups, some of which may be virtual. Researchers will monitor pain levels and quality of life to understand the impact of the acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture for Chronic Pelvic Pain