The acupuncture treatment of low back pain: a randomized controlled
study.
by
Coan RM; Wong G; Ku SL; Chan YC; Wang L; Ozer FT; Coan PL
From:
Am J Chin Med, 8: 1-2, 1980 Spring-Summer, 181-9
The acupuncture treatment situation was beneficial to the majority of
people with low back pain. This was shown by the use of short-term
controls and long-term controls, although the latter were not intended
in the study design. After acupuncture, there was a 51% pain reduction
in the average pain score in the Immediate Treatment Group. The
short-term controls, the Delayed Treatment Group, had no reduction
whatsoever in their pain scores at the comparable followup period.
Later, the Delayed Treatment Group bere also treated by acupuncturists,
and reported 62% less pain. When these two treatment groups were
compared at 40 weeks with long-term controls (Inadequate Treatment
Group), the Inadequate Treatment Group still had the same pain scores,
on the average, as when they enrolled in the study. Both treatment
groups, on the average, had 30% lower pain scores. Furthermore, 58% of
the treatment groups felt that they were definitely improved at 40
weeks, while only 11% of the Inadequate Treatment Group felt definitely
improved at 40 weeks.