Category: Musculoskeletal Conditions

Cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) is degeneration of the vertebrae in the neck, putting pressure on the nerve roots and causing such symptoms as pins-and-needles and pain in the arms and hands. A pilot study undertaken by Japanese researchers, has shown that acupuncture can be of benefit for this condition.

Fifteen patients diagnosed with CSR and upper extremity pain and/or pins-and-needles, were enrolled into the study; between them, there were 16 affected limbs, and 17 symptom scores of pain/pins-and-needles were gathered. Acupuncture was given once a week for four weeks. Improvement was observed in 90% of cases, with a significant reduction both in patients’ own assessment of their pain, and in function scores on a neck disability index. For 15 of the 17 symptom scores, there was a 50% reduction in symptoms. The improvements remained significant at follow-up after four weeks.

(Clinical effect of acupuncture on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy: results of a case series. Acupuncture in Medicine, on-line 21 August 2013.)

A report commissioned by the charity Arthritis Research UK, reveals acupuncture to be the most effective complementary medicine for treating musculoskeletal conditions, and one of only a few therapies the use of which is supported by medical evidence.

The report examined trial data on a range of twenty-five complementary therapies, and was aimed at helping patients and health professionals choose approaches which were both safe and effective. The therapies found to be most effective were: acupuncture for osteoarthritis, lower back pain and fibromyalgia; massage for lower back pain and fibromyalgia; tai chi for osteoarthritis; yoga for back pain. Dr Gareth Jones, from the University of Aberdeen, who was the main author of the report, points out that approximately one quarter of the UK population uses complementary therapies in one form or another; the use of these therapies is higher among people with pain or musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis.

(Practitioner-based complementary and alternative therapies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and low back pain. Published on-line 9 January 2013.)

Researchers at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in Plymouth, undertaking a systematic review of studies conducted on the effectiveness of acupuncture for heel pain, have concluded that acupuncture is as effective as conventional treatments such as stretching or steroid injections. They looked at five randomised controlled trials and three non-randomised comparative studies. There were significant benefits from acupuncture treatment, and the review authors conclude that acupuncture should be considered in the recommendations for management of plantar heel pain. Future research should acknowledge the complexity of both plantar heel pain and acupuncture as an intervention, and the relationship between the two.

(The Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Plantar Heel Pain: A Systematic Review. Acupuncture in Medicine, December 2012.)