| Methods |
Randomised placebo controlled trial.
Blinding:
stated as single blind however subject and outcome assessor were blind to group allocation
Loss to follow up: no subjects were reported as lost to follow up or withdrawn
Appropriate Statistical Analysis:
The study was subjected to an interim analysis and stopped as reported significance had been reached.
No subjects were reported to have crossed over treatment groups |
| Participants |
48 participants
Inclusion criteria:
subjects with chronic unilateral tennis elbow pain (> 2 months, average 15.4 months)
Exclusion criteria:
current analgesic therapy
systemic joint/bone disorders
previous acupuncture treatment
overt psychiatric illness
inability to speak/read/write German |
| Interventions |
Experimental group: a single non‐segmental acupuncture stimulation treatment on distal points for elbow pain (homolateral leg)
control group: a single placebo acupuncture (no insertional needles) |
| Outcomes |
Assessed before and after treatment:
pain measurement ‐ 11 point box scale questionnaire (0 = no pain at all, 10 = pain as severe as it could possibly be)
duration of pain reduction assessed by following patients for 72 hours |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
