BMJ  2006;333 (23 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7569.0

Acupuncture may help in non-specific low back pain...

Referral to a qualified acupuncturist seems safe and acceptable to patients with persistent non-specific low back pain, say Thomas and colleagues (p 623). They randomised 241 adults with non-specific back pain of 4-52 weeks' duration to 10 individualised treatments with traditional acupuncture over three months or to usual care. They found weak evidence that a short course of acupuncture has an effect on low back pain at 12 months and stronger evidence of a small benefit at 24 months. The acupuncture group had a 10-15% better outcome in the final pain score compared with control.

Credit: PICTURE PARTNERS/ALAMY

 

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Randomised controlled trial of a short course of traditional acupuncture compared with usual care for persistent non-specific low back pain

K J Thomas, H MacPherson, L Thorpe, J Brazier, M Fitter, M J Campbell, M Roman, S J Walters, and J Nicholl
BMJ 2006 333: 623. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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