YuJuan Zhang1, Chenchen Wang2. 1. Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, Tufts Children's Hospital, Tufts Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street, Box 190, Boston, MA, 02111, USA. 2. Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Tufts Medical Center/Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street, Box 406, Boston, MA, 02111, USA. cwang2@tuftsmedicalcenter.org.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) attributable to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain is the most common cause of disability globally, for which no effective remedy exists. Although acupuncture is one of the most popular sensory stimulation therapies and is widely used in numerous pain conditions, its efficacy remains controversial. This review summarizes and expands upon the current research on the therapeutic properties of acupuncture for patients with CMP to better inform clinical decision-making and develop patient-focused treatments. RECENT FINDINGS: We examined 16 review articles and 11 randomized controlled trials published in the last 5 years on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in adults with CMP conditions. The available evidence suggests that acupuncture does have short-term pain relief benefits for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain and is a safe and reasonable referral option. Acupuncture may also have a beneficial role for fibromyalgia. However, the available evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for treating hip osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of studies concluded the superiority of short-term analgesic effects over various controls and suggested that acupuncture may be efficacious for CMP. These reported benefits should be verified in more high-quality randomized controlled trials.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) attributable to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain is the most common cause of disability globally, for which no effective remedy exists. Although acupuncture is one of the most popular sensory stimulation therapies and is widely used in numerous pain conditions, its efficacy remains controversial. This review summarizes and expands upon the current research on the therapeutic properties of acupuncture for patients with CMP to better inform clinical decision-making and develop patient-focused treatments. RECENT FINDINGS: We examined 16 review articles and 11 randomized controlled trials published in the last 5 years on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in adults with CMP conditions. The available evidence suggests that acupuncture does have short-term pain relief benefits for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain and is a safe and reasonable referral option. Acupuncture may also have a beneficial role for fibromyalgia. However, the available evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for treating hip osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of studies concluded the superiority of short-term analgesic effects over various controls and suggested that acupuncture may be efficacious for CMP. These reported benefits should be verified in more high-quality randomized controlled trials.
Authors: Lizhou Liu; Margot Skinner; Suzanne McDonough; Leon Mabire; George David Baxter Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2015-03-04 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: James Dahlhamer; Jacqueline Lucas; Carla Zelaya; Richard Nahin; Sean Mackey; Lynn DeBar; Robert Kerns; Michael Von Korff; Linda Porter; Charles Helmick Journal: MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep Date: 2018-09-14 Impact factor: 17.586