Table 1.
Results of randomized control trials for acupuncture treatment of lower back pain.
| Authors | Diagnosis | Intervention Group | Control Group | Outcome Measure | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pach et al. (2013) [218] | CLBP | n = 73, standardized manual acupuncture; n = 66, individualized manual acupuncture | NA | VAS | Both intervention groups showed improvement in pain scale but there were no relevant difference between them |
| Molsberger et al. (2002) [219] | LBP | n = 65, manual acupuncture + conventional orthopaedic therapy | n = 61, sham acupuncture + conventional orthopaedic therapy; n = 60, conventional orthopaedic therapy | VAS | Acupuncture + conventional orthopaedic therapy were better than sham and conventional orthopaedic therapy alone |
| Weiß et al. (2013) [220] | CLBP | n = 74, manual acupuncture + inpatient rehabilitation program | n = 69, inpatient rehabilitation program | SF-36 | Intervention group showed better results judging from SF-36 questionnaires |
| Inoue et al. (2006) [221] | LBP | n = 15, manual acupuncture | n = 16, sham acupuncture | VAS, Schober test | Both groups showed reduction in pain but intervention group showed better result than control group |
| Giles et al. (2003) [222] | CSP | n = 36, manual acupuncture; n = 36, spinal manipulation | n = 40, medication | ODI, NDI, SF-36, VAS | Manipulation achieved the best overall results, however, on the VAS for neck pain, acupuncture showed a better result than manipulation (50% vs. 42%) |
| Haake et al. (2007) [223] | CLBP | n = 387, manual acupuncture | n = 387, sham acupuncture; n = 388, conventional therapy (physiotherapy, exercise) | CPGS, HFAQ | Effectiveness of acupuncture, both verum and sham, was almost twice that of conventional therapy |
| Brinkhaus et a (2006) [224] | CLBP | n = 146, manual acupuncture; n = 73, minimal manual acupuncture | n = 79, waiting list | SF-36, VAS | Acupuncture was better than no acupuncture, but no significant differences between acupuncture and minimal acupuncture |
| Cho et al. (2013) [225] | CLBP | n = 57, manual acupuncture | n = 59, sham acupuncture | VAS | Acupuncture was better than sham acupuncture |
| Cherkin et al. (2001) [226] | CLBP | n = 94, manual acupuncture | n = 78, massage; n = 90, self-care | SBS, RDS | Massage was better than acupuncture and self-care |
| Cherkin et al. (2009) [227] | CLBP | n = 158, standardized manual acupuncture; n = 157, individualized manual acupuncture; n = 162, simulated acupuncture (using toothpick) | n = 161, usual care (medications, physiotherap) | RMDQ | All intervention groups showed better outcome than usual care, but no significant differences among the acupuncture groups |
| Yun et al. (2012) [228] | CLBP | n = 82, standardized manual acupuncture; n = 80, individualized manual acupuncture | n = 74, usual care (massage, physiotherapy, medications) | RMDQ, VAS | Intervention groups showed better results than control; but individualized acupuncture is more effective than standardized acupuncture |
| Zhang et al. (2017) [229] | DiscogenicSciatica | n = 50, 50 Hz electroacupuncture | n = 50, MFE | NRS, ODI, PGI | The effect of electroacupuncture was superior to that of MFE |
| Thomas et al. (1994) [230] | CNLBP | n = 7, manual acupuncture; n = 9, 2 Hz low frequency electroacupuncture; n = 11, 80 Hz high frequency electroacupuncture | n = 10, waiting list | ADL related to pain, ROM | All intervention groups showed reduction of pain, more so in low frequency electroacupuncture group in long term |
| Glazov et al. (2014) [231] | NSCLBP | 840 nm laser acupuncture: n = 48, 0.8 Joules high dose; n = 48, 0.2 Joules low dose | n = 48, 0 Joules sham laser acupuncture (without switching on the laser) | NPRS, ODI | Treatment groups showed better result but no difference between sham and laser groups |
| Shin et al. (2015) [232] | LBP | 660 nm laser acupuncture: n = 28 | n = 27, sham laser acupuncture (without switching on the laser) | VAS, PPT | Both groups showed improvement in pain but no significant difference outcomes between the two groups |
NA = Not Available; ADL = Activities of Daily Life; CPGS = Chronic Pain Grade Scale; HFAQ = Hanover Functional Ability Questionnaire; MFE = Medium-Frequency Electrotherapy; NDI = Neck Disability Index; NRS = Numerical Rating Scale; ODI = Oswestry Disability Index; NPRS = Numerical Pain Rating Scale; PGI = patient global impression; PPT = Pressure Pain Threshold; RDS = Roland Disability Scale; RMDQ = Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire; ROM = Range of Motion; SBS = Symptom Bothersomeness Scale; SF-36 = Short-Form 36 Health Survey; VAS = Visual Analog Scale; CLBP = chronic low back pain; CNLBP = chronic nociceptive low back pain; CSP = chronic spinal pain; LBP = low back pain; NSCLBP = non-specific chronic low back pain; nm = Nanometer.