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Published on: June 6, 2025
Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain
Claudia M Witt1, Susanne Jena, Benno Brinkhaus
1Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany. claudia.witt@charite.de
Pain
|June 20, 2006
Summary
Acupuncture, when added to routine care, significantly improves chronic neck pain and disability. This benefit was observed in a large study and maintained for six months, offering a viable treatment option.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pain Management
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Neck pain is a common condition with limited evidence on acupuncture's effectiveness in routine care.
- Patients frequently use acupuncture for neck pain, necessitating research into its real-world efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunct to routine medical care for chronic neck pain.
- To compare outcomes of acupuncture plus routine care versus routine care alone in managing chronic neck pain.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled multicentre trial combined with a non-randomized cohort study in German general practices.
- 14,161 patients with chronic neck pain (>6 months duration) were included.
- Patients were randomized to acupuncture or a control group, with non-randomized patients also receiving acupuncture.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture group showed significant improvement in neck pain and disability (16.2 points) compared to the control group (3.9 points) at three months (p<0.001).
- Improvements were sustained at six months.
- Non-randomized patients with more severe baseline symptoms experienced greater improvements than randomized patients.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture, when integrated with routine care, offers significant benefits for patients with chronic neck pain.
- The study supports acupuncture as an effective complementary therapy for improving neck pain and disability in primary care settings.
