Pain management with acupuncture in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Manyanga T, Froese M, Zarychanski R, Abou-Setta A, Friesen C, Tennenhouse M, Shay BL.BMC Complement Altern Med.2014 Aug 23; 14(1): 312. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4158087/ Acupuncture diminishes pain and improves functional mobility and quality-of-life in patients with osteoarthritis, according to a recent review. The review, by Manyanga et al. (2014), analyzed 12 trials that compared acupuncture to sham, no treatment, or usual care in treating osteoarthritis, with a total of 1763 participants. The study was published in the August 2014 issue ofBMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Results showed that acupuncture patients had significant reductions in pain in comparison to patients allocated to control groups. Acupuncture patients also gained significantly more functional mobility and reported better quality-of-life. Lengthier treatment periods were consistent with greater reductions in pain. The authors write, “Current evidence supports the use of acupuncture as an alternative for traditional analgesics in patients with osteoarthritis.” -- SAR members enjoy access to more in-depth research summaries. For access to the full summary and more, click here to learn more about the benefits of joining SAR. |