Acupuncture
Acupuncture is safe and effective in treating back, muscle, and joint pain, as well as complex pain syndromes like fibromyalgia and headache. Explore the evidence below:
JAMA Internal Medicine 2012. Impact Factor: 44.4 | 17,922 Patients – Systematic Review of 29 Randomized Controlled Trials
Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal, headache, and osteoarthritis pain. Treatment effects of acupuncture persist over time and cannot be explained solely in terms of placebo effects. Referral for a course of acupuncture treatment is a reasonable option for a patient with chronic pain.
Pain 2018. Impact Factor: 44.4 | 17,922 Patients – Systematic Review of 29 Randomized Controlled Trials
The central estimate suggests that about 90% of the benefit of acupuncture relative to controls would be sustained at 12 months. The effects of a course of acupuncture treatment for patients with chronic pain do not appear to decrease importantly over 12 months. Patients can generally be reassured that treatment effects persist.
Rheumatology 2006. Impact Factor: 7.6 | 329 Patients – Systematic Review of 18 Randomized Controlled Trials
Sham-controlled RCTs suggest specific effects of acupuncture for pain control in patients with peripheral joint OA. Considering its favourable safety profile acupuncture seems an option worthy of consideration particularly for knee OA.
Journal of Pain Research 2019. Impact Factor: 3.7 | 347 Patients – Systematic Review of 12 Randomized Controlled Trials
Acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment for patients with FM (Fibromyalgia), and this treatment can be recommended for the management of FM.
Anesthesia and Analgesics 2008. Impact Factor: 5.2 | 3916 Patients – Systematic Review of 31 Randomized Controlled Trials
Needling acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and medication therapy in improving headache intensity, frequency, and response rate.
Needling / Trigger Point Injection
Needling and Trigger Point injections are effective at helping to relieve symptoms in the short and medium term, allowing the body to enter into a state of decreased discomfort and reduced pain. Explore the evidence below:
Journal of Clinical Medicine 2022. Impact Factor: 4.24 | 23,892 Patients – Systematic Review of 11 Randomized Controlled Trials
Dry Needling (DN) has a short-term analgesic effect in all body regions and may be of additional value to the interventions that are used to date in clinical practice. Several studies have shown an additional treatment effect when combining DN to physiotherapeutic interventions compared to these interventions in isolation.
Journal of Clinical Medicine 2022. Impact Factor: 4.24 | 807 Patients – Systematic Review of 8 Randomized Controlled Trials
Dry Needling (DN) can be an effective treatment option for Chronic Neck Pain (CNP), positive outcomes were achieved in the short-term and in the follow-up performed between three and six months, and this technique may offer better outcomes than a placebo intervention based on the application of simulated DN.
Physical Therapy 2021. Impact Factor: 3.22 | 3,967 Patients – Systematic Review of 42 Randomized Controlled Trials
Evidence that the immediate to 72-hour (large) effect, 4- to 12-week (large) effect, 13- to 24-week (large) effect, and moderate-quality 1- to 3-week (moderate) effect suggested that Dry Needling (DN) performed by physical therapists was more effective than no treatment, sham DN, and other therapies for reducing pain.
Pain Medicine 2023. Impact Factor: 3.4 | 538 Patients – Systematic Review of 8 Randomized Controlled Trials
The meta-analysis suggests that various applications of DN performed with other conservative interventions are more effective than conservative treatment alone for reducing pain and disability in patients with SAPS
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2015. Impact Factor: 4.0 | 839 Patients – Systematic Review of 20 Randomized Controlled Trials
Dry needling can be recommended for relieving MTrP (Myofascial trigger point) pain in neck and shoulders in the short and medium term, but wet needling (trigger point) is found to be more effective than dry needling in relieving MTrP pain in neck and shoulders in the medium term.
Meditation
Meditation, particularly mindfulness based programs, are effective at decreasing the intensity of chronic pain and improving quality of life. Explore the evidence below:
JAMA Internal Medicine 2014. Impact Factor: 44.4 | 3,320 Patients – Systematic Review of 47 Randomized Controlled Trials
Clinicians should be aware that meditation programs can result in small to moderate reductions in multiple negative dimensions of psychological stress. Thus, clinicians should be prepared to talk with their patients about the role that a meditation program could have in addressing psychological stress.
Pain 2008. Impact Factor: 7.9 | 37 Patients – Randomized Controlled Trials
Compared to the control group, the intervention group displayed significant improvement in the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire Total Score and Activities Engagement subscale (P=.008, P=.004) and SF-36 Physical Function (P=.03). An 8-week mindfulness-based meditation program is feasible for older adults with CLBP (Chronic Low Back Pain. The program may lead to improvement in pain acceptance and physical function.
Pain Medicine 2013. Impact Factor: 3.4 | 3,967 Patients – Systematic Review of 42 Randomized Controlled Trials
Findings suggest that MBIs (Mindfulness-based interventions) decrease the intensity of pain for chronic pain patients. We discuss implications for understanding mechanisms of change in MBIs.
JAMA 2016. Impact Factor: 157.3 | 342 Patients – Randomized Controlled Trial
Among adults with chronic low back pain, treatment with MBSR or CBT, compared with usual care, resulted in greater improvement in back pain and functional limitations at 26 weeks, with no significant differences in outcomes between MBSR and CBT. These findings suggest that MBSR may be an effective treatment option for patients with chronic low back pain.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2015. Impact Factor: 4.0 | 839 Patients – Systematic Review of 20 Randomized Controlled Trials
While mindfulness meditation improves pain and depression symptoms and quality of life, additional well-designed, rigorous, and large-scale RCTs are needed to decisively provide estimates of the efficacy of mindfulness meditation for chronic pain.
