acup and back pain

[Guest guest]

Here is a positive spin on a study that basically shows that doing

individualized acup or just touching skin with a tooth pick makes no difference.

Several other reviews of the study are much less flattering.

 

 

Embargoed for Release

Monday, May 11, 2009

4:00 p.m. EDT

 

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Acupuncture-Like Treatments Improve Outcomes Compared to Usual Care for Low Back

Pain

 

People suffering from chronic low back pain who received acupuncture or

simulated acupuncture treatments fared better than those receiving only

conventional care According to a recent study published in the Archives of

Internal Medicine.[1] The study highlights central questions about the

mechanisms of benefit seen in acupuncture studies.

 

This trial, led by Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., of Group Health Center for Health

Studies in Seattle, was funded by the National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health.

 

" Because of the lack of highly effective medical treatments for chronic low back

pain, we were pleased to find that acupuncture-like treatments were helpful for

persons suffering from chronic back pain, " said Dr. Cherkin. " However, the

finding that real acupuncture produced no greater benefit than simulated

acupuncture raises important questions about acupuncture's mechanisms of

action. "

 

This trial enrolled 638 adults with chronic low back pain who had never had

acupuncture and who had rated the " bothersomeness " of their pain as at least a 3

on a 0-to-10 scale. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four

groups: individualized acupuncture, involving a customized prescription for

acupuncture points from a diagnostician; standardized acupuncture, using a

single prescription for acupuncture points that experts consider generally

effective for chronic low back pain; simulated acupuncture, which mimics needle

acupuncture but does not involve actual penetration of the skin; or usual care,

which is standard medical care.

 

The patients assigned to any of the three acupuncture groups (individualized,

standardized, or simulated) were treated twice weekly for three weeks, and then

weekly for four weeks. At 8, 26, and 52 weeks, researchers measured back-related

dysfunction and how much symptoms bothered participants.

 

The researchers found that at eight weeks the individualized, standardized, and

simulated acupuncture groups all improved their dysfunction scores significantly

more than the group receiving usual care. These benefits persisted for one year,

though diminished over time. However, there was no significant difference

between the groups receiving the needle and simulated forms of acupuncture.

Thus, while acupuncture was found effective in treating low back pain, neither

tailoring acupuncture needle sites to an individual patient nor penetrating the

skin appears to be important for receiving therapeutic benefit.

 

" The findings of this research show that acupuncture-like treatments, including

simulated acupuncture, can elicit positive responses, " said Josephine P. Briggs,

M.D., director of NCCAM. " This adds to the growing body of evidence that there

is something meaningful taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of

actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking

these responses. "

 

The researchers believe that further research is needed to determine the roles

of patient expectancy, practitioner reassurance and the physiological effects of

non-insertive stimulation and other effects that may contribute to

acupuncture-like benefits.

 

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's mission is to

explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context of

rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative

information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call

NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site

at nccam.nih.gov. NCCAM 1999–2009: Celebrating 10 years of rigorous research.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency —

includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and

supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it

investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare

diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Reference:

1 Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Avins AL, et al. A Randomized Trial Comparing

Acupuncture, Simulated Acupuncture, and Usual Care for Chronic Low Back Pain.

Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009;169[9]:858-866.

[Guest guest]

All this shows, is that the common person is deprived of the benefit of touch.

Any group can screen their test subjects for optimum response.