Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Pain Management
Although challenges exist in establishing evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture, the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain management has been strongly verified by large Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and Meta-analyses. Number of patients seeking acupuncture treatment for pain management has been increasing [1].
For Low Back Pain
For Neck Pain
For Osteoarthritis/Knee Pain
For Headache
References:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26433806, Ning Z and Lao L, Acupuncture for Pain Management in Evidence-based Medicine
2. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction, Acupuncture: In Depth
For Low Back Pain
- A 2012 analysis of data on participants in acupuncture studies looked at back and neck pain together and found that actual acupuncture was more helpful than either no acupuncture or simulated acupuncture [2]
- A 2010 review by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that acupuncture relieved low-back pain immediately after treatment but not over longer periods of time [2]
For Neck Pain
- A 2009 analysis found that actual acupuncture was more helpful for neck pain than simulated acupuncture, but the analysis was based on a small amount of evidence (only three studies with small study populations). [2]
- A large German study with more than 14,000 participants evaluated adding acupuncture to usual care for neck pain. The researchers found that participants reported greater pain relief than those who didn’t receive it; the researchers didn’t test actual acupuncture against simulated acupuncture [2].
For Osteoarthritis/Knee Pain
- A major 2012 analysis of data on participants in acupuncture studies found that actual acupuncture was more helpful for osteoarthritis pain than simulated acupuncture or no acupuncture. [2]
- A 2010 systematic review of studies of acupuncture for knee or hip osteoarthritis concluded that actual acupuncture was more helpful for osteoarthritis pain than either simulated acupuncture or no acupuncture. However, the difference between actual and simulated acupuncture was very small, while the difference between acupuncture and no acupuncture was large [2]
For Headache
- A 2012 analysis of data on individual participants in acupuncture studies looked at migraine and tension headaches. The analysis showed that actual acupuncture was more effective than either no acupuncture or simulated acupuncture in reducing headache frequency or severity [2].
- A 2009 systematic review found that adding acupuncture to basic care for migraines helped to reduce migraine frequency. However, in studies that compared actual acupuncture with simulated acupuncture, researchers found that the differences between the two treatments may have been due to chance [2].
References:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26433806, Ning Z and Lao L, Acupuncture for Pain Management in Evidence-based Medicine
2. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction, Acupuncture: In Depth