Randomised trial of acupuncture compared with conventional massage and "sham" laser acupuncture for treatment of chronic neck pain Commentary: Controls for acupuncture---can we finally see the

Abstract

What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic Acupuncture is a widespread complementary treatment Evidence from trials have given conflicting results on its use in the treatment of neck pain because of methodological shortcomings and because effects were compared either with alternative treatments or with different sham procedures imitating acupuncture, but not both What this study adds What this study adds Compared with sham laser acupuncture and massage, needle acupuncture has beneficial effects on mobility and pain related to motion in patients with chronic neck pain Acupuncture was clearly more effective than massage, but differences were not always significant compared with sham laser acupuncture Acupuncture was the best treatment for patients with the myofascial syndrome and those who had had pain for longer than five years What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic Acupuncture is a widespread complementary treatment Evidence from trials have given conflicting results on its use in the treatment of neck pain because of methodological shortcomings and because effects were compared either with alternative treatments or with different sham procedures imitating acupuncture, but not both What this study adds What this study adds Compared with sham laser acupuncture and massage, needle acupuncture has beneficial effects on mobility and pain related to motion in patients with chronic neck pain Acupuncture was clearly more effective than massage, but differences were not always significant compared with sham laser acupuncture Acupuncture was the best treatment for patients with the myofascial syndrome and those who had had pain for longer than five years What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic Acupuncture is a widespread complementary treatment Evidence from trials have given conflicting results on its use in the treatment of neck pain because of methodological shortcomings and because effects were compared either with alternative treatments or with different sham procedures imitating acupuncture, but not both What this study adds What this study adds Compared with sham laser acupuncture and massage, needle acupuncture has beneficial effects on mobility and pain related to motion in patients with chronic neck pain Acupuncture was clearly more effective than massage, but differences were not always significant compared with sham laser acupuncture Acupuncture was the best treatment for patients with the myofascial syndrome and those who had had pain for longer than five years What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic Acupuncture is a widespread complementary treatment Evidence from trials have given conflicting results on its use in the treatment of neck pain because of methodological shortcomings and because effects were compared either with alternative treatments or with different sham procedures imitating acupuncture, but not both What this study adds What this study adds Compared with sham laser acupuncture and massage, needle acupuncture has beneficial effects on mobility and pain related to motion in patients with chronic neck pain Acupuncture was clearly more effective than massage, but differences were not always significant compared with sham laser acupuncture Acupuncture was the best treatment for patients with the myofascial syndrome and those who had had pain for longer than five years