Acupuncture was better than no acupuncture but did not differ from minimal (sham) acupuncture for chronic low back pain at 8 weeks

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 111-111
Author(s):  
G. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Better Than

Modellvorhaben Akupunktur – a Summary of the Art, Arc and Gerac Trials

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Osteoarthritis Of The Knee ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Therapeutic Context

In October 2000 the German Federal Committee of Physicians and Health Insurers recommended that special Model Projects on Acupuncture (“ Modellvorhaben Akupunktur”) be developed in order to determine the evidence-based role of acupuncture in the treatment of certain illnesses. This paper presents a summary of the main randomised controlled trials performed as part of these projects, and the associated economic analyses. Overall the results show that acupuncture is effective in practice for a range of chronic conditions, and it seems likely to have acceptable cost utility (at least at a rate of ¢35 per session). Sham acupuncture, in the form of minimal off-point needling in a therapeutic context, also appears to be effective, being no different to prophylactic medication in migraine, and superior to guideline-based standard care in chronic low back pain. In patients recruited to acupuncture trials, the response to treatment does not differ between those that agree to be randomised and those that do not. This suggests that the results of the pragmatic Acupuncture in Routine Care studies are applicable to patients from the general population who express a preference for acupuncture. In conclusion, acupuncture appears to be effective in a range of chronic conditions and it seems to have acceptable cost-effectiveness in Western health economic terms. These programmes of research do not confirm the hypothesis that needling at specific points is essential to achieve satisfactory clinical effects of acupuncture. Sham acupuncture, in the form of minimal off-point needling in a therapeutic context, is unlikely to be an inactive placebo. In April 2006, the German health authorities decided that acupuncture would be included into routine reimbursement by social health insurance funds for chronic low back pain and chronic osteoarthritis of the knee.

scholarly journals Imagined and Actual Acupuncture Effects on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Cao ◽  
Scott P. Orr ◽  
Georgia Wilson ◽  
Jian Kong
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
New Treatment

Background. Research suggests that imagined experiences can produce brain responses similar to those produced by actual experiences. Shared brain responses that support both imagination and perception may underlie the functional nature of mental imagery. In a previous study, we combined acupuncture and imagery to develop a new treatment method, video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT). We found that VGAIT significantly increased pain thresholds in healthy subjects. The aim of this study is to extend our previous finding by investigating whether VGAIT can relieve symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods. We first performed a single-arm study in which we administered video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT) on patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) (Study 1, n=18, 12 females). We then compared our findings to those from a recently published study in which real or sham acupuncture treatment was applied on patients with cLBP (Study 2, n=50, 31 females) using a similar protocol. All patients in Studies 1 and 2 received 6 treatments over 4 weeks. Results. All three treatments (VGAIT, real, and sham acupuncture) significantly reduced pain severity as measured by a low back pain bothersomeness score. VGAIT produced similar effects to real acupuncture (p=0.97) and nonsignificantly greater pain bothersomeness relief compared to sham acupuncture (p=0.14). Additional analysis showed that there was no significant difference on the sensations evoked by different treatment modalities. Conclusion. These findings support VGAIT as a promising method for pain management.

scholarly journals Directed vertebral manipulation is not better than generic vertebral manipulation in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomised trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-179
Author(s):  
Ronaldo Fernando de Oliveira ◽  
Leonardo Oliveira Pena Costa ◽  
Leonardo Penteado Nascimento ◽  
Lívia Leticia Rissato
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Better Than

scholarly journals Acupuncture Treatment Modulates the Connectivity of Key Regions of the Descending Pain Modulation and Reward Systems in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyi Yu ◽  
Ana Ortiz ◽  
Randy L. Gollub ◽  
Georgia Wilson ◽  
Jessica Gerber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Sham Acupuncture ◽  
Pain Modulation ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Reward Systems ◽  
Real Acupuncture ◽  
Descending Pain Modulation

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a common disorder with unsatisfactory treatment options. Acupuncture has emerged as a promising method for treating cLBP. However, the mechanism underlying acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the modulation effects of acupuncture on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in patients with cLBP. Seventy-nine cLBP patients were recruited and assigned to four weeks of real or sham acupuncture. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected before the first and after the last treatment. Fifty patients completed the study. We found remission of pain bothersomeness in all treatment groups after four weeks, with greater pain relief after real acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture. We also found that real acupuncture can increase VTA/PAG rsFC with the amygdala, and the increased rsFC was associated with decreased pain bothersomeness scores. Baseline PAG-amygdala rsFC could predict four-week treatment response. Our results suggest that acupuncture may simultaneously modulate the rsFC of key regions in the descending pain modulation (PAG) and reward systems (VTA), and the amygdala may be a key node linking the two systems to produce antinociceptive effects. Our findings highlight the potential of acupuncture for chronic low back pain management.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document