Acupuncture Reduces Chronic Neck Pain, Study Finds
Study Shows Individualized Acupuncture Reduces Chronic Neck Pain for Up to 24 Weeks
Chronic neck pain affects millions of people worldwide, often leading to a reduced quality of life and reliance on pain medications. A recent 2024 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that individualized acupuncture may offer lasting relief for chronic neck pain, providing a non-pharmacological alternative to traditional treatments. The study’s findings highlight the potential of acupuncture in managing pain over the long term.
Key Points
Individualized acupuncture targeting specific sensitive acupoints showed more significant pain reduction than sham acupuncture or a waitlist control.
The study followed 716 participants with chronic neck pain over 24 weeks, tracking pain using a visual analog scale.
High-sensitivity acupoint acupuncture (HSA) was most effective, with the effects lasting up to 24 weeks.
The study found that while acupuncture improved pain levels, the difference did not meet the threshold for minimal clinically important improvement.
Researchers suggested that acupuncture may offer a safer, non-pharmacological treatment option compared to NSAIDs or opioids.
Future research is needed to confirm these findings and explore their broader implications.
Study Overview
A new randomized controlled trial, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, explores the long-term effectiveness of individualized acupuncture in treating chronic neck pain. Conducted by researchers from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the study included 716 participants who were assigned to four groups: higher sensitive acupoints (HSA), lower sensitive acupoints (LSA), sham acupuncture (SA), or a waitlist (WL) control group. The trial aimed to evaluate the changes in pain levels over 24 weeks, using a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 100.
Participants underwent 10 acupuncture sessions over four weeks, and their pain levels were assessed every four weeks for 24 weeks. The study's primary goal was to assess whether acupuncture targeting high or low-sensitivity acupoints could provide long-lasting relief for chronic neck pain when compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment.
Results
The results of the study indicate that acupuncture targeting high-sensitivity acupoints (HSA) was the most effective in reducing chronic neck pain. At the 4-week mark, the mean pain score reduction for the HSA group was -12.16, compared to -10.19 for the LSA group, -6.11 for the SA group, and -2.24 for the waitlist group. The effects persisted at the 24-week follow-up, with the HSA group showing sustained pain relief.
While the study demonstrated that acupuncture was more effective than sham treatment and no treatment, the improvement did not meet the threshold for minimal clinically important difference (10 points on the VAS). This finding raises questions about the practical significance of the treatment in everyday clinical settings. Despite this, the results suggest acupuncture’s potential as a complementary treatment for chronic neck pain.
Study Limitations and Future Research
One limitation of the study is the difficulty in maintaining complete blinding. Participants might have been able to distinguish between sham acupuncture and real treatments, potentially affecting the outcomes. Additionally, the study was conducted at clinical centers in China, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other populations and healthcare settings.
Future research should focus on replicating the results in more diverse populations and clinical environments. Larger trials with longer follow-up periods could also provide more definitive insights into the long-term efficacy of acupuncture for chronic neck pain. Moreover, exploring the mechanisms behind acupuncture’s effect on sensory and pressure-based acupoints could help optimize treatment protocols.
Study Strengths
One of the strengths of this study is its robust design, with a large sample size and a randomized controlled format. By comparing different types of acupuncture interventions (HSA, LSA, SA) and including a waitlist control, the researchers were able to provide a detailed analysis of the potential benefits of individualized acupuncture treatments.
Additionally, the study’s 24-week follow-up period allowed for a thorough assessment of the treatment's long-term effects. The inclusion of multiple clinical centers further strengthens the credibility of the findings, as they were replicated in different healthcare environments.
Individualized vs. Standardized Acupuncture Treatment for Neck Pain
One key distinction in the study was the use of individualized acupuncture, where treatment was tailored to each participant’s specific pain sensitivities. In this trial, researchers focused on selecting acupoints based on pressure pain thresholds and sensory feedback, resulting in either higher-sensitive acupoints (HSA) or lower-sensitive acupoints (LSA). This contrasts with standardized acupuncture, which often follows a pre-set protocol using the same points for all patients, regardless of individual pain profiles.
Individualized acupuncture may offer a more precise and effective approach for conditions like chronic neck pain, where the source and intensity of discomfort can vary significantly from person to person. By focusing on acupoints that respond to sensory feedback, practitioners can potentially target the most effective areas for relief. This personalized approach could explain the superior results seen in the study, with individualized treatments showing more significant and lasting improvements compared to sham or standardized acupuncture methods. Further research is needed to explore whether individualized treatment consistently outperforms standardized protocols across various conditions.
Over to you
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Sources:
Zhao, L., Sun, M., Yin, Z., Cui, J., Wang, R., Ji, L., Geng, G., Chen, J., Cai, D., Liu, Q., Zheng, H., & Liang, F. (2024). Long-term effects of individualized acupuncture for chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2425.
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