Abstract
As part of a reimbursement-related assessment named "Modellvorhaben Akupunktur," a group of German health insurance companies investigated the safety and efficacy of acupuncture in chronic headache, chronic low back pain and chronic osteoarthritic pain. The program included three systematic reviews, five randomized trials, a large observational study, and a survey of physicians providing acupuncture. The results overall suggest measurable clinical improvements for a period of at least six months compared to no treatment. However, sham acupuncture-controlled studies only showed an effect for oteoarthritis of the knee. The discrepancy between the strong overall effect and the limited evidence of efficacy in sham acupuncture-controlled studies makes a straight-forward interpretation of the findings difficult.
| Translated title of the contribution | Acupuncture for chronic pain - Results from the research program of ten health insurance funds |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | A187-195 |
| Journal | Deutsches Arzteblatt |
| Volume | 103 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - 27 Jan 2006 |