Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain (Review)

Molsberger 2002
(Continued)
All outcomes were taken at the end of the treatment period and 3 months later
Costs: not reported
Complications: no side effects or complications occurred in any treatment group
Notes
Language: English
Publication: full paper
No additional information from authors
For results, see the comparisons:
5.1
5.2
5.14
12.1
12.4
12.6
Conclusions: “Together with conservative orthopedic standard therapy, acupuncture helps to decrease pain intensity
directly after treatment, and patients’ rating of the acupuncture treatment is significantly better than that of the
standard therapy alone. The therapeutic effect lasts for at least 3 months after the end of treatment”
Sakai 1998
Methods
Participants
Interventions
-Randomized (method not described). Sealed envelopes.
-Not blinded.
-Funding: Grant from the Foundation for Training and Licensure Examination in Anma-Massage-Acupressure,
Acupuncture and Moxibustion.
-Setting: Outpatients in a University Hospital. Tokyo, Japan.
-Informed consent was taken orally. No description of ethics approval.
-Follow-up: no information
-Analysis: No statistical test.
26 patients with non-specific low-back pain of variable duration
Excluded: (1) osteoarthritis of lumbar spine, osteoporosis, scoliosis, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, herniation of
lumbar disc, spinal stenosis or fracture; (2) radiculopathy or neuropathy in the lower extremity; (3) urological
problem, gynaecological problem, neurological problem, collagen, diabetes or malignancy; (4) increase of CRP or
ESR; (5) medication of corticosteroid, immunosuppressant agent, NSAID or muscle relaxant; (6) problem of general
condition; (7) dementia; (8) pregnancy; (9) elderly patient; (10) those who were judged to be inappropriate for the
trial by the authors
Mean age: 51 years old
Gender: 7 males and 19 females
Working status: not reported
Previous treatments: not reported
1) Needling points in lumbar area were chosen from BL23, 25, 32, 52 and 2 extra channel points near the spinous
process of L4 and L5, and that in lower extremity were chosen from BL37, 40, 57, ST36, GB34 by palpation.
Manual acupuncture technique such as needle retention and sparrow pecking technique were performed. Electroacupuncture
was applied in some cases. Other details in technique not reported. Patients were treated twice a week
for two weeks, i.e. four sessions in total.
Randomized to this group: 14
Experience: unknown
Acupuncture and dry-needling for low back pain (Review)
Copyright © 2011 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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