Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Multicenter, Randomized, Patient-Assessor Blind, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial

Item

Title

Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Multicenter, Randomized, Patient-Assessor Blind, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial

Author(s)

Journal Publication

Date

2013

volume

38(7)

pages

549-557

Research Type

RCT

Keywords

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Study Design. Multicenter, Randomized, Patient-Assessor Blind, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial.Objective. To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture treatment with individualized setting for reduction of bothersomeness in participants with chronic low back pain (cLBP).Summary of Background Data. Low back pain is one of the main reasons of disability among adults of working age. Acupuncture is known as an effective treatment for chronic low back pain, but it remains still unclear whether acupuncture is superior to placebo.Methods. One hundred thirty adults aged 18-65 with non-specific LBP of lasting for at least the last 3 months was participated in the three Korean medical hospitals in Korea. Participants got individualized real acupuncture treatments or sham acupuncture treatments over 6 weeks (twice a week) from Korean medicine doctors. Primary outcome was change of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for bothersomeness of cLBP. Secondary outcomes included VAS for pain intensity and questionnaires including Oswestry disability index (ODI), General health status (SF-36), and Beck's depression inventory (BDI).Results. There were no baseline differences observed between two groups except ODI. One hundred sixteen participants finished the treatments and 3-, 6-month follow ups with fourteen subjects' drop-out. Significant difference of VAS for bothersomeness and pain intensity of cLBP have been found between two groups (p<0.05) at the primary end point (8 week). In addition, those two scores have been improved continuously until 3-month follow up (p = 0.011, p = 0.005, respectively). ODI, BDI and SF-36 scores were also improved in both groups without group difference.Conclusion. This randomized sham-controlled trial suggests that acupuncture treatment show the better effects on the reduction of the bothersomeness and pain intensity than sham-control in participants with cLBP.

doi

10.1097/BRS.0b013e318275e601

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has health condition studied

Back Pain

plan

>1/WK

has study population number

130

has duration

6 Weeks

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