Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 26, 2025
07:34
Manual Therapy for a Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain Rat Model
Published on: August 11, 2023
981
Acupuncture for chronic nonspecific low back pain
Jinglan Mu1,2, Andrea D Furlan3,4, Wai Yee Lam2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|December 11, 2020
Summary
Acupuncture may not offer significant pain relief or functional improvement compared to sham treatments for chronic low back pain (LBP). However, it shows benefits over no treatment and some improvements compared to usual care, with evidence quality varying.
Area of Science:
- Integrative medicine
- Pain management
- Evidence-based practice
Background:
- Chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP) affects many individuals, persisting over three months without a clear cause.
- Acupuncture is considered a potential alternative therapy for chronic LBP according to some clinical guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic nonspecific LBP.
- Comparisons were made against sham interventions, no treatment, and usual care.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.
- Included studies focused on adults with chronic nonspecific LBP, assessing pain, function, and quality of life.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture showed low-certainty evidence for immediate pain relief versus sham, but not clinically significant. Moderate-certainty evidence indicated acupuncture improved pain and function compared to no treatment.
- Compared to usual care, acupuncture had low-certainty evidence for pain reduction but improved function and physical quality of life.
- Adverse events were similar between acupuncture and sham/usual care groups, with common events including insertion site pain and bruising.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture's clinical benefit over sham interventions for immediate pain relief and quality of life is uncertain.
- Acupuncture demonstrates effectiveness compared to no treatment and offers some benefits over usual care for chronic LBP.
- The decision to use acupuncture should consider availability, cost, and patient preference, given the variable evidence quality.
