ICMART

Low back pain and acupuncture – a summary

Prof. C. Carlsson – M.D.
Sweden

Chronic low back pain, with or without radiation to the leg, continues to be a big problem for many patients. There exist a lot of different treatments for this condition. Many sufferers try stimulation techniques like TENS and acupuncture. In the literature there are quite many studies concerning acupuncture and low back pain.

The literature will be reviewed. Especially there will be discussed meta-analyses that are very often cited in other literature. This article gives examples of problems that often arise with meta-analyses. There will also be a summary of the author’s own long-term randomised placebo-controlled study in this field.

Different methods under the broad concept of acupuncture will be discussed.

Different diagnoses that often respond or don’t respond to acupuncture will be addressed.

Among the different kinds of acupuncture the following will be summarised:

– trigger-point acupuncture (dry needling);
– superficial acupuncture;
– segmental acupuncture;
– usual de-qt acupuncture;
– some traditional aspects of acupuncture;
– periosteal acupuncture;
– ear acupuncture (auriculotherapy).

A special workshop will be held where different techniques will be discussed (and shown) in more detail.

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