Table 4.
Secondary outcome measures. Improvement in 165 patients with chronic neck pain immediately after (M2) and three days after (M3) first treatment, immediately after (M4) and one week after (M5, primary end point) last treatment, and at three month follow up (M6) compared with baseline measurements and comparison between groups by treatment. Figures are means (SD) unless indicated otherwise
| Acupuncture | Massage | Sham laser | Difference between groups*
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture v massage | Acupuncture v sham laser | ||||
| Pain related to motion (improvement on VAS 0-100) | |||||
| M2 | 7.8 (21.1) | 7.2 (21.5) | 7.3 (21.2) | 0.981 | 0.984 |
| M3 | 12.7 (22.2) | 5.4 (24.7) | 11.4 (21.4) | 0.168 | 0.937 |
| M4 | 25.3 (22.6) | 12.7 (29.5) | 19.2 (26.5) | 0.027 | 0.388 |
| M6 | 17.4 (29.7) | 14.4 (31.9) | 17.4 (26.4) | 0.823 | 1.000 |
| Range of motion (degrees)† | |||||
| M4 | 19.6 (36.3) | 6.2 (25.3) | 12.9 (25.1) | 0.034 | 0.384 |
| M5 | 19.8 (37.9) | 5.1 (22.2) | 8.7 (33.0) | 0.031 | 0.125 |
| M6 | 8.9 (30.1) | 5.5 (37.2) | 3.5 (29.8) | 0.815 | 0.609 |
| Pain related to direction (improvement on VAS 0-100)‡ | |||||
| M4 | 16.9 (15.6) | 5.6 (15.3) | 10.2 (18.5) | 0.001 | 0.066 |
| M5 | 17.3 (18.0) | 3.1 (15.0) | 11.4 (18.7) | 0.0001 | 0.138 |
| M6 | 15.0 (14.3) | 8.1 (21.8) | 11.2 (19.3) | 0.113 | 0.486 |
| Pressure pain threshold (kg/cm2)§ | |||||
| M4 | 0.06 (0.58) | 0.04 (0.50) | −0.03 (0.51) | 0.971 | 0.558 |
| M5 | −0.02 (0.54) | −0.09 (0.62) | −0.07 (0.52) | 0.696 | 0.864 |
| M6 | 0.19 (0.77) | 0.05 (0.59) | 0.03 (0.62) | 0.447 | 0.368 |
| Spontaneous pain (rating scale)¶ | |||||
| M5 | 35/51 (69%) | 28/56 (50%) | 30/56 (54%) | 0.150 | 0.242 |
| M6 | 33/47 (70%) | 25/57 (44%) | 28/56 (50%) | 0.015 | 0.056 |
| Pain related to motion (rating scale)¶ | |||||
| M5 | 44/52 (85%) | 33/58 (57%) | 34/57 (60%) | 0.002 | 0.012 |
| M6 | 38/48 (79%) | 29/57 (51%) | 34/57 (60%) | 0.007 | 0.089 |
| Global complaints (rating scale)¶ | |||||
| M5 | 46/52 (88%) | 32/58 (55%) | 39/57 (68%) | 0.001 | 0.040 |
| M6 | 39/48 (81%) | 32/57 (56%) | 38/57 (67%) | 0.022 | 0.225 |
| Role physical** | |||||
| M5 | 8.06 (31.9) | 12.37 (34.4) | 0.00 (23.6) | 0.797 | 0.498 |
| M6 | 0.83 (41.3) | 4.95 (37.3) | 5.83 (34.5) | 0.865 | 0.825 |
| Pain index** | |||||
| M5 | 8.41 (20.2) | 10.15 (17.3) | 8.85 (16.9) | 0.843 | 0.989 |
| M6 | 13.76 (22.4) | 14.64 (22.1) | 15.67 (21.5) | 0.971 | 0.870 |
VAS=visual analogue scale.
P values. Parametric variance analytic models used for comparison of improvements of all quantitative variables with adjustment according to Dunnett. For comparison of qualitative variables (rating scale) χ2 tests were used without adjustment for multiple comparisons. Repeated measurements at different time points were performed without further adjustment.
Data from six movement directions added for each patient. To analyse changes of range, differences calculated by subtracting results for each patient after treatment from those before treatment.
Ratings of six movement directions averaged for each patient; less painful movement directions included in score. To analyse changes of direction related pain, differences were calculated by subtracting results for each patient after treatment from those before treatment.
Measurements on individual maximum point. Results for three other sites were similar.
No of patients improved v treated (percentage); 7 point rating scale reduced to 3 point scale (improvement, no change, worsening).
Only two of eight scales showed limitations in SF-36 before treatment.