A large cohort study in South Korea suggests cervical surgery rates are lower in patients who receive acupuncture. Patients with neck pain from acupuncture and control groups, were matched for several demographic factors. Each group contained over 50 000 patients.
The hazard ratio for surgery within two years was found to be significantly lower in the acupuncture group compared to the control group, and this result was observed consistently across all age, gender and income strata. The authors conclude that acupuncture may be an effective way of managing the condition, and has the potential to help patients avoid unnecessary surgery.
(Cervical surgery rate in neck pain patients with and without acupuncture treatment: a retrospective cohort study. Acupuncture in Medicine, 20 August 2019.)