Table 1.

Characteristics of 177 patients with chronic neck pain included in trial

	Acupuncture (n=56)	Massage (n=60)	Sham laser (n=61)
Mean (SD) age (years)	52.3 (13.3)	52.7 (11.5)	52.2 (13.2)
Women	39	38	40
Whiplash	17	16	23
Myofascial pain syndrome	35	45	49
Duration of pain >5 years	23	24	28
Slow onset	36	47	45
Concomitant symptoms*:
None	9	13	10
1-3	26	24	23
>3	20	22	26
History of treatment:	56	60	61
Massage	45	44	47
Fango (warm pack)	44	44	35
Physiotherapy	40	40	39
Chiropractic	25	32	30
Infiltration with local anaesthetics	18	25	23
Relaxation methods	18	23	19
Acupuncture	14	23	21
Psychological pain therapy	5	5	6

^*Headache, low back pain, vertigo, tinnitus, fatigue, sensitivity to noise and light, lack of motivation, nausea, unspecific visual disorders.