Acupuncture for chronic pain within the research program of 10 German Health Insurance Funds—Basic results from an observational study
Complementary Therapies in MedicinePublished 31 October 2006
Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Andrea Streng, Klaus Linde, A. Hoppé, Dieter Melchart
Citations47
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score1.02
SNIP1.32
Generate an AI Snapshot to get a quick, structured summary of this paper.
Study Snapshot
ObjectiveStudy objective
MethodsResearch methodology
PopulationPopulation studied
Sample sizeSample sizes
OutcomesStudy outcomes here
ResultsStudy results comes here
LimitationsResearch study limitations comes here
A concise AI-generated summary of the paper will appear here once you click Generate AI Snapshot.
TL;DR
Results indicate that acupuncture provided by qualified therapists is safe, and patients benefited from the treatment, and acupuncture proved a highly demanded treatment option for chronic pain conditions within the German research program.
Abstract
Acupuncture proved a highly demanded treatment option for chronic pain conditions within the German research program. Results indicate that acupuncture provided by qualified therapists is safe, and patients benefited from the treatment.
Keywords
Medicine
The LancetAcupuncture in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomised trial
669 Citations2005Claudia M. Witt, Benno Brinkhaus +8 more
After 8 weeks of treatment, pain and joint function are improved more with acupuncture than with minimal acupuncture or no acupuncture in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, however, this benefit decreases over time.
JAMAAcupuncture for Patients With Migraine
643 Citations2005Klaus Linde, Andrea Streng +10 more
It is found that acupuncture was no more effective than sham acupuncture in reducing migraine headaches although both interventions were moreeffective than a waiting list control.
PubMedAcupuncture in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.
432 Citations2006Benno Brinkhaus, Claudia M. Witt +8 more
Acupuncture was more effective in improving pain than no acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic low back pain, whereas there were no significant differences between acupuncture and minimal acupuncture.
Annals of Internal MedicineAcupuncture and Knee Osteoarthritis
422 Citations2006Hanns‐Peter Scharf, Ulrich Mansmann +6 more
Comparing long-term efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA) versus sham acupuncture and standardized multimodal therapy for several indications, including osteoarthritis of the knee was compared.
BMJThe York acupuncture safety study: prospective survey of 34 000 treatments by traditional acupuncturists
421 Citations2001Hugh MacPherson, Kate Thomas +2 more
The primary aim was to describe the type and frequency of adverse events after acupuncture, and to examine mild transient reactions associated with acupuncture, some of which may indicate a positive response to treatment.
BMJAcupuncture in patients with tension-type headache: randomised controlled trial
420 Citations2005Dieter Melchart, Andrea Streng +11 more
The acupuncture intervention investigated in this trial was more effective than no treatment but not significantly moreeffective than minimal acupuncture for the treatment of tension-type headache.
The Lancet NeurologyEfficacy of acupuncture for the prophylaxis of migraine: a multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial
409 Citations2006Hans‐Christoph Diener, Kai Kronfeld +8 more
Treatment outcomes for migraine do not differ between patients treated with sham acupuncture, verum acupuncture, or standard therapy, and treatment outcomes in the reduction of migraine days 26 weeks after the start of treatment are unchanged.
SpineLessons from a Trial of Acupuncture and Massage for Low Back Pain
396 Citations2001Donna A. Kalauokalani, Daniel C. Cherkin +3 more
The results of this study suggest that patient expectations may influence clinical outcome independently of the treatment itself, and general optimism about treatment, divorced from a specific treatment, is not strongly associated with outcome.
Archives of Internal MedicineProspective Investigation of Adverse Effects of Acupuncture in 97 733 Patients
359 Citations2004Dieter Melchart, Wolfgang Weidenhammer +5 more
The American Journal of MedicineProspective studies of the safety of acupuncture: a systematic review
327 Citations2001Edzard Ernst, Adrian R White
Although the incidence of minor adverse events associated with acupuncture may be considerable, serious adverse events are rare and those responsible for establishing competence in acupuncture should consider how to reduce these risks.
Complementary Medicine ResearchInanspruchnahme und Akzeptanz klassischer Naturheilverfahren und alternativer Heilmethoden in Deutschland – Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsstudie
212 Citations2004Ursula Härtel, Emily J. Volger
The observed overall acceptance together with the marked need for more information should be used more intensively for the development of health promotion strategies and underpins the necessity of reinforced research activities in this field.
Complementary Therapies in MedicinePatients seeking care from acupuncture practitioners in the UK: A national survey
115 Citations2005Hugh MacPherson, Nityamo Sinclair-Lian +1 more
Evidence from acupuncture patients' reports shows that musculo-skeletal problems provide the main reason for seeking treatment, and a wider case mix amongst patients compared with those seeking care in 1988 is found.
The Annals of Family MedicineThe Practice of Acupuncture: Who Are the Providers and What Do They Do?
80 Citations2005Karen J. Sherman
This study contributes new information about acupuncturists and the care they provide that should be useful to clinicians interested in becoming more knowledgeable about complementary or alternative medical therapies available to their patients.
Headache The Journal of Head and Face PainAcupuncture for Chronic Headaches—An Epidemiological Study
47 Citations2006Dieter Melchart, Wolfgang Weidenhammer +4 more
The characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing acupuncture treatment for chronic headaches under conditions of routine care provided within the framework of statutory health insurance in Germany are investigated.
Revista Internacional de AcupunturaAcupuncture and Knee Osteoarthritis
41 Citations2007Hanns‐Peter Scharf, Ulrich Mansmann +7 more
Compared with physiotherapy and as-needed anti-inflammatory drugs, addition of either TCA or sham acupuncture led to greater improvement in WOMAC score at 26 weeks, suggesting that the observed differences could be due to placebo effects, differences in intensity of provider contact, or a physiologic effect of needling regardless of whether it is done according to TCA principles.
Lara D. VeekenAcupuncture for osteoarthritic pain: an observational study in routine care
33 Citations2005Klaus Linde, Wolfgang Weidenhammer +3 more
In this study, patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis reported clinically relevant improvements after acupuncture treatment, and Statistically significant and clinicallyrelevant improvements were seen in all subgroups both after treatment and at 6 months in all major outcome measures.
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine"Quality Profiling" for Complementary Medicine: The Example of a Hospital for Traditional Chinese Medicine
16 Citations2003Dieter Melchart, Wolfgang Weidenhammer +2 more
Quality profiles can serve as a basic tool for evaluating provider quality when the results are compared with either a predefined standard or with profiles of other providers who are offering similar medical services.
Der SchmerzAkupunktur bei chronischen Schmerzpatienten
15 Citations2006Wolfgang Weidenhammer, G Menz +3 more
Das GesundheitswesenAufbau, Realisierung und Datenübersicht einer Beobachtungsstudie im Rahmen des Programms zur Evaluation der Patientenversorgung mit Akupunktur (PEP-AK) des Modellvorhabens der Ersatzkassen
14 Citations2005Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Andrea Streng +4 more
The study aimed to estimate the incidence of adverse reactions as well as the treatment effects of acupuncture in chronically ill patients with headache, low back pain or osteoarthritic pain as part of a model project of German statutory insurance bodies.
PubMed[Acupuncture for chronic pain patients. Treatment outcomes--the role of the acupuncturist].
11 Citations2006Wolfgang Weidenhammer, G Menz +3 more
Improvement after acupuncture and patient satisfaction were positively correlated and longer term effects were more pronounced for physicians offering additional complementary methods in their practice.
Deutsche Zeitschrift für AkupunkturDas Modellvorhaben Akupunktur der Ersatzkassen
10 Citations2002Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Andrea Streng +4 more