A controlled trial on acupuncture for chronic neck pain

Area of Science:

• Integrative and Complementary Medicine
• Neurology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Chronic neck pain (CNP) is a prevalent condition with significant impact on quality of life.
• Acupuncture is a common traditional Chinese medicine (CM) therapy, but its efficacy for CNP requires rigorous evaluation.
• Controlled trials are essential to differentiate specific effects of CM acupuncture from placebo responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of individualized Chinese medicine (CM) acupuncture for chronic neck pain (CNP).
• To compare CM acupuncture with sham acupuncture in a controlled crossover trial.
• To assess both subjective and objective measures of pain and function.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, controlled, crossover clinical trial involving 29 volunteers with CNP.
• Participants received both CM acupuncture (individualized, local/distal points, manual twisting, strong electrical stimulation) and sham acupuncture (lateral points, weak electrical stimulation) in a crossover design.
• Subjective measures (pain intensity, VAS, NDI) and objective measures (ROM, PT) were assessed at multiple time points, including a 16-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• Both real CM acupuncture and sham acupuncture significantly reduced subjective pain measures.
• No significant differences were observed between CM acupuncture and sham acupuncture for most subjective outcomes.
• Objective measures of neck range of motion and pain threshold showed no significant changes in either group.

Conclusions:

• While CM acupuncture demonstrated subjective pain relief for CNP, the effects were comparable to sham acupuncture.
• A sustained effect for subjective pain relief was observed for both treatments up to 16 weeks post-intervention.
• Further research with larger sample sizes and extended study periods is recommended to clarify the specific efficacy of CM acupuncture for CNP.