Acupuncture as an alternative or in addition to conventional treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

研究概要

This systematic review and meta-analysis included ten randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 2122 participants comparing acupuncture alone versus conventional therapy and four RCTs with 374 participants comparing acupuncture plus conventional therapy to conventional therapy alone for chronic non-specific low back pain. Pooled outcomes of interest included pain intensity and disability. No significant differences were found when comparing acupuncture alone with non-pharmacological or pharmacological therapies. However, when acupuncture was combined with non-pharmacological or pharmacological therapies, both pain and disability were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that acupuncture, particularly when combined with other therapies, may be beneficial for reducing pain and disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.