Table 3

Health status as scored on the SF-36: values are means (SD)

	Baseline			After treatment (three months after randomisation)					At 12 months
End point	Acupuncture	Controls	Acupuncture	Controls	Difference^*	95% CI	P value	Acupuncture	Controls	Difference^*	95% CI	P value
Physical functioning	n=161: 81.9 (21.1)	n=139: 85.3 (18.4)	n=156: 82.6 (20.7)	n=134: 81.7 (21.3)	3.0	-0.2 to 6.2	0.07	n=157: 82.6 (23.3)	n=138: 82.3 (20.2)	2.7	-0.7 to 6.0	0.12
Role functioning physical	n=161: 60.4 (40.2)	n=139: 59.4 (38.6)	n=154: 63.5 (41.4)	n=134: 56.7 (40.8)	5.0	-3.6 to 13.5	0.3	n=156: 70.0 (39.2)	n=137: 60.3 (41.3)	8.8	0.6 to 17.0	0.036
Role functioning emotional	n=160: 73.2 (36.6)	n=140: 69.6 (39.4)	n=155: 72.4 (39.7)	n=130: 74.7 (36.3)	-5.1	-13 to 2.9	0.2	n=154: 76.0 (37.0)	n=136: 70.1 (39.2)	4.9	-3.5 to 13.4	0.3
Energy or fatigue	n=161: 47.9 (19.9)	n=140: 52.2 (20.2)	n=154: 51.3 (21.6)	n=134: 51.8 (20.8)	1.9	-1.8 to 5.7	0.3	n=158: 55.4 (20.7)	n=139: 54.2 (20.7)	4.2	0.6 to 7.7	0.02
Emotional wellbeing	n=161: 66.0 (15.0)	n=140: 67.0 (14.1)	n=156: 66.6 (15.3)	n=134: 67.8 (14.0)	-0.9	-3.8 to 2.0	0.5	n=158: 68.3 (15.4)	n=139: 68.9 (14.7)	0.0	-2.9 to 2.9	1
Social functioning	n=161: 71.0 (24.9)	n=140: 73.6 (21.6)	n=156: 73.6 (24.8)	n=134: 75.4 (22.6)	-0.8	-5.6 to 4.1	0.8	n=158: 77.9 (25.2)	n=138: 74.8 (23.2)	4.2	-0.8 to 9.2	0.10
Pain	n=160: 59.8 (23.3)	n=140: 66.3 (21.3)	n=156: 64.3 (23.6)	n=134: 64.6 (23.5)	2.4	-2.5 to 7.3	0.3	n=158: 65.0 (24.5)	n=139: 63.7 (22.2)	4.4	-0.2 to 9.0	0.063
General health	n=161: 60.2 (21.1)	n=140: 64.0 (21.8)	n=156: 61.1 (21.1)	n=134: 61.8 (22.1)	2.1	-1.0 to 5.3	0.2	n=158: 61.9 (22.5)	n=139: 62.5 (22.9)	3.0	-0.4 to 6.5	0.09
Health change	n=161: 52.5 (15.4)	n=140: 53.4 (17.0)	n=154: 58.0 (18.9)	n=133: 50.6 (18.3)	7.7	3.5 to 12.0	0.0004	n=158: 62.8 (20.1)	n=137: 55.5 (18.4)	7.9	3.5 to 12.3	0.0004

Higher scores indicate better quality of life. Differences between groups are calculated by analysis of covariance.
↵* Adjusted difference: positive favours acupuncture.