Chinese auriculoacupuncture to reduce pain and impact on daily activities in elderly women treated in a specialized elderly health unit: randomized clinical trial

INTERVENTION: This is a randomized, single‐blind clinical trial. Participants are unaware of the intervention. Intervention group: 40 elderly women with osteoarticular pain in the knee began treatment with auriculoacupuncture seeking energy balance according to the standards of traditional Chinese medicine and will be applied in the following order: Shenmen (TF4); rim (CO10); sympathetic nervous system (AH6a); points for restoring energy balance, and points for the knee (AH64), analgesia (CC129), spleen (CC133) and liver (CC132). This treatment (or intervention) is the standard/routine that patients receive in their care, regardless of research. And for the research, the same standard/routine treatment (or intervention) described will be interrupted. Control group: 40 elderly women with osteoarticular pain in the knee started treatment with auriculoacupuncture at the eye point (LO5), which will be a placebo treatment. This point, located in the center of the auricular lobe, is far from the points applied in the intervention group, and is not related to the focus of observation. CONDITION: Aged E02.190.044.133 PRIMARY OUTCOME: It is expected to find a greater reduction in pain intensity in the intervention group when compared to the control group. SECONDARY OUTCOME: No secondary outcomes are expected. INCLUSION CRITERIA: age from 60 years; presence of chronic osteoarticular pain for 3 months or more, and availability of time for auriculoacupuncture sessions.