Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Pain After Spinal Surgery

Assessing the Efficacy of Imagined Acupuncture for Postoperative Acute Pain Management in Spinal Surgery

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether imagined acupuncture can reduce postoperative acute pain in adult patients undergoing spinal surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does video-guided imagined acupuncture improve postoperative pain control?

Does the intervention reduce opioid consumption and improve functional recovery in the immediate postoperative period?

Researchers will compare the imagined acupuncture group to the control education video group to see if imagery-based intervention leads to better pain outcomes and reduced analgesic use.

Participants will:

Watch a 30-minute video once daily for 7 consecutive days after surgery

Complete pain and function assessments during the hospital stay and postoperative follow-up

Inclusion Criteria:

• Undergoing 1- to 2-level primary spine surgery
• Aged 18 years or older
• Willing and able to receive postoperative imagined acupuncture (VGAIT)
• Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Undergoing revision surgery or procedures involving more than 3 spinal levels
• History of prior spinal surgery
• Intraoperative complications likely to interfere with postoperative pain assessment
• Diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorders that impair participation or communication
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Unable to cooperate with treatment or pain assessments Individuals with uncorrectable vision impairment that would interfere with viewing study videos or completing study questionnaires.