Effect of acupuncture treatment on chronic neck and shoulder pain in sedentary female workers: a 6-month and 3-year follow-up study

He, D.

Bo, Veiersted K.

Hostmark, A. T.

Ingulf, Medbo J.

Pain

2004

109(3)

299-307

RCT

TENS

Acu Versus Sham

Acupuncture

Anxiety

Auricular Acupressure

Depression

Depressive Disorder

Ear Seeds

Electroacupuncture

Fixed Acupuncture Protocol

Penetrating Sham

Near Verum Acupoint Control

Neck Pain

Non Penetrating Sham, Electrical

Occupational Diseases

Pain

Psychological Disorders

RCT

Restricted Modalities, Acupuncture + Other

Sham Acupoint Control

Sham Acupressure

Sham TENS

Shoulder Pain

Standard Needling Depth

TCM Acupuncture Style

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

The study was carried out to examine whether acupuncture treatment can reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache, and also to examine whether possible effects are long-lasting. Therefore, 24 female office workers (47+/-9 years old, mean+/-SD) who had had neck and shoulder pain for 12+/-9 years were randomly assigned to a test group (TG) or a control group (CG). Acupuncture was applied 10 times during 3-4 weeks either at presumed anti-pain acupoints (TG) or at placebo-points (CG). A physician measured the pain threshold (PPT) in the neck and shoulder regions with algometry before the first treatment, and after the last one and six months after the treatments. Questionnaires on muscle pain and headache were answered at the same occasions and again 3 years after the last treatment. The intensity and frequency of pain fell more for TG than for CG [Formula: see text] during the treatment period. Three years after the treatments TG still reported less pain than before the treatments [Formula: see text] contrary to what CG did [Formula: see text] The degree of headache fell during the treatment period for both groups, but more for TG than for CG [Formula: see text] Three years after the treatments the effect still lasted for TG [Formula: see text] while the degree of headache for CG was back to the pre-treatment level [Formula: see text] PPT of some muscles rose during the treatments for TG and remained higher 6 months after the treatments [Formula: see text] which contrasts the situation for CG. Adequate acupuncture treatment may reduce chronic pain in the neck and shoulders and related headache. The effect lasted for 3 years

Neck Pain

>1/WK

24

3 Weeks