Virtual Auricular Point Acupressure (APA) for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

"Musculoskeletal pain can be a chronic and long term condition with the signs of pain often becoming more significant as time passes. People with musculoskeletal pain also need to be aware that the pain may be related to and be associated with other conditions or diagnoses, the need for referral to a specialist may be required." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"Both the patient's history and examination are important in determining the cause of the pain. Often, a history may be sufficient when deciding whether to visit a podiatrist for a referral examination. When the history is unreliable but physical examination findings are suggestive of sciatica, it is possible to do a laminectomy to relieve the symptoms without the need for a formal treatment plan. This procedure results in minimal morbidity and no long term functional deterioration." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"Most chronic and short-term use of opioids is probably necessary for treating pain, but many are inappropriate, and more research is needed to reduce their use in chronic pain." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"We found no good evidence to support any form of alternative surgery or non-specialist treatment for correcting or eliminating muscle pain and stiffness. In contrast, studies have found a role for certain forms of medication and chiropractic care in alleviating muscle pain and stiffness, and these have been shown to be of benefit in some people. Further research is required to clarify this." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"The number of people experiencing musculoskeletal pain varies by age, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, medical record documentation of one's diagnosis, and gender. In a recent study, findings suggests that further research should include measurement by health plans and survey respondents that would facilitate comparisons across racial and ethnic groups and across diagnoses." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"Musculoskeletal pain can occur in the aftermath of trauma or overuse. The most effective way of preventing musculoskeletal pain is to identify symptoms early on in the recovery process by regular physical activity and avoiding exposures to trauma." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"This small pilot study has demonstrated that the technique was not necessarily dangerous, although participants, particularly the women, were cautious of the sensation of being touched." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"There was no difference in the degree of pain reduction between the intervention group and a control group. However, acupuncture needle placement was not accurate, and only one-third of subjects in the acupuncture group actually received treatment. Apa was found to be clinically effective but not technically feasible and well tolerated." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"Although there may be a need for more research, the findings from the studies did show us that there are many methods that could be used for minimizing the amount of pain that was sustained in patients diagnosed with musculoskeletal pain. Some of these methods included: the use of heat for the benefit of patients with musculoskeletal pain; using a variety of medicines, such as NSAIDs and anti-inflammatories, to treat musculoskeletal pain; and using a low dose of oral steroids in patients with muscle pain. None of these therapies were particularly effective but they were simple and therefore could be used more widely if found to be very effective for treating patients suffering from muscle pain." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"A general medical practitioner (GP) should consider treatment with a clinical trial to reduce chronic pain. Although many conditions will probably produce pain [among them], a general medical practitioner (GP) should consider [pain management in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) research and treatment(https://www.acr.org/practice/education/d_education/d_healthcare/d_art/pain-management/fms.aspx)." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"Apa has a unique characteristic of being relatively safe and effective for treating unilateral muscular pain and myofascial pain syndrome (also known as myofeedback), which is caused by the stretching, stretching relaxation, and/or lengthening of muscle pain/syndrome." - Anonymous Online Contributor

"The current study found no evidence that P_VAPA was more effective in reducing pain in patients suffering from somatic pain conditions than was a placebo, although a slight reduction in pain was seen following P_VAPA." - Anonymous Online Contributor