Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat.

Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat. A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The purpose of this study is to compare ear acupuncture plus standard of care versus standard therapy (anti-inflammatory medications) in the reduction of pain, reduction in oral anti inflammatory medication use, hours lost from work in acute sore throat.

Inclusion:

• Male and female subjects (DoD beneficiaries), 18 years or older, with upper respiratory complaints and their primary symptom being acute sore throat.
• Minimum pain score of 5 points on an 11 point scale (0-10 with 10 being the worst pain)

Exclusion:

• History of significant gastrointestinal bleed
• Previous documented history of stage 2 kidney disease or worse
• Known Pregnancy
• History of gastric bypass surgery
• Known Peritonsillar abscess (PTA)
• Throat, mouth or esophageal cancer
• Chronic oral steroids use
• Absence of one or more ears
• Active cellulitis of ear
• Ear anatomy precluding identification of acupuncture landmarks
• Non-English speaking
• Use of Hearing Aids that preclude the use of ear acupuncture
• Allergy to Ibuprofen