Acupuncture for chronic back pain: patients and methods

Author(s): Kranz, H., Kidson, M., Loh, S., Scott, D., Selwood, T.

Journal/Book: Proceedings of the Australian Association of Neurologists. 1977; 14: 154-161.

Abstract: Although there has been a great deal of interest shown in the use of acupuncture as a treatment technique for the relief of chronic pain, there has been a paucity of controlled clinical therapeutic studies. Thus out of 21 such studies recently reviewed, less than half included a control group.Following the recommendation of a delegation which visited China and made a preliminary assessment of acupuncture (National Health and Medical Research Council, 1974), the National Health and Medical Research Council established a study group to investigate the efficacy of acupuncture analgesia in the treatment of chronic pain. An acupuncture clinic, funded by the Council, was started at Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne and, commencing in March 1976, patients with chronic low back pain have been treated by acupuncture within a double-blind, controlled therapeutic trial.This paper will describe aims and organisation of the study, the results of a survey of medically-qualified acupuncturists to determine the treatment methods utilised by them, and some of the characteristics of the first 80 patients referred for assessment.

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