Individualized Acupuncture Provides Moderate Relief for Chronic Neck Pain: JAMA

Of the 716 participants, 683 completed the trial with the mean baseline VAS score for neck pain across the groups being around 50. The findings of the study revealed that acupuncture at both high- and low-sensitivity acupoints resulted in moderate improvements in neck pain, with the HSA group by experiencing the most observed pain relief.

By the end of week 4, the HSA group showed an average decrease of 12.16 points in their VAS score when compared to a 10.19-point reduction in the LSA group. Meanwhile, the SA group (which received sham acupuncture) and the WL control group had smaller improvements of 6.11 and 2.24 points, respectively. These outcomes suggest that HSA and LSA acupuncture were more effective than the sham and no-treatment options in reducing neck pain.

While the reductions in pain were statistically significant, the difference in outcomes between the acupuncture groups and the sham or waiting list groups did not reach the minimum clinically important threshold of a 10-point improvement. This suggests that, despite the acupuncture providing some relief, it might not be substantial enough to be considered a clinically meaningful improvement. The benefits observed in the acupuncture groups persisted throughout the 24-week follow-up period. Overall, individualized acupuncture at higher sensitivity acupoints offered moderate pain relief for individuals with chronic neck pain. Further research is imperative to determine its long-term clinical relevance and general applicability.

Source:

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. In Annals of Internal Medicine. American College of Physicians. https://doi.org/10.7326/m23-2425