Category: Musculoskeletal Conditions

Researchers in Spain have found that individualised acupuncture treatment is effective for pain relief and improving the quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. They randomly assigned 164 patients at three primary care centres, to receive either individualised acupuncture or sham acupuncture, once per week for ten weeks. All patients continued to take any medication they were also on for the condition. Progress was assessed at baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months and 12 months.

At the end of the initial treatment phase, those receiving individualised acupuncture reported a significant decrease (41%) in pain intensity compared with the sham group (27%). This difference persisted at the 12 month follow-up (20% versus 6%). Disease impact scores, fatigue, depression and anxiety were also all significantly better in the individualised acupuncture group at all assessment points. The researchers concluded that since the effect persisted after one year, and side effects were mild and infrequent, the use of individualised acupuncture in patients with fibromyalgia is recommended.

(Acupuncture for fibromyalgia in primary care: a randomised controlled trial. Acupuncture in Medicine, 15 February 2016.)

Acupuncture may aid recovery after spinal cord injury. Australian researchers pooled the results of twelve randomised controlled studies, and analysis suggests beneficial effects on neurological recovery, motor function and functional recovery. The authors state that at present, the benefit of acupuncture is by no means definitive and well-designed future studies are recommended to confirm it.

(The Impact of Acupuncture on Neurological Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Neurotrauma, 11 December 2015.)

Researchers in Taiwan have shown that acupuncture and electroacupuncture are both helpful for carpal tunnel syndrome. A total of 26 patients were divided into two groups: 15 received acupuncture and 11 received electroacupuncture. In all, 24 treatment sessions were given over a six week period.

Both forms of treatment resulted in improvements in objective symptom severity. Acupuncture additionally resulted in the improved objective measures of grip strength, electrophysiological function and physical provocation (Tinel’s sign).

(Clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for carpal tunnel syndrome. American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2014.)

An international team of authors has concluded that evidence from a variety of moderate quality randomised controlled trials, suggests acupuncture is effective for treating the pain of tennis elbow. They studied 19 trials, conducted in Germany, Canada, Italy and China, which compared acupuncture and/or moxibustion with such other approaches as sham acupuncture or conventional treatment (eg steroid injection, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ultrasound). The authors suggest that the results justify further trials of rigorous design.

(Acupuncture and moxibustion for lateral elbow pain: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 12 April 2014.)

Researchers at Meiji University in Kyoto, Japan say true acupuncture is significantly better than sham, at reducing pain and improving function in patients with chronic shoulder pain. Eighteen patients, aged 42 to 65, who had experienced non-radiating shoulder pain for at least six months, were randomised to receive five weekly sessions of either acupuncture at muscular trigger points, or (sham) acupuncture at other points on the same muscles. At the end of the treatment period and compared to the sham group, pain intensity in the true acupuncture group had decreased significantly whilst shoulder function had increased significantly.

(Randomized trial of trigger point acupuncture treatment for chronic shoulder pain: a preliminary study. Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies, April 2014.)