Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for neck pain were included. Four were crossover studies. Studies in which two different forms of acupuncture were compared were excluded as were studies in which no data or statistical comparisons were reported. Duration of follow-up ranged from none to 6 months.
Specific interventions included in the review
Needle acupuncture, electroacupuncture and the stimulation of acupuncture points by low-energy laser (laser acupuncture) were compared with the following control interventions: sham needles; non-point needling; sham laser; sham pricking with finger nail; sham needle prick; physiotherapy including short wave, traction, massage, stretch exercises, and mobilization; sham TENS; superficial needling; diazepam; placebo diazepam; and waiting list. Treatment was given in hospital; university out-patient departments; medical institute; primary care; hospital ward; or physiotherapy department.
Participants included in the review
Patients with neck pain of the following types were included: chronic neck and back pain; neck/root pain; neck and shoulder pain; cervical spondylosis; ankylosing spondylitis; myofascial neck pain; osteoarthritis of the neck; non-inflammatory neck pain; and limited range of movement of neck. Duration of symptoms, where stated, ranged from > 1 month to > 2 years. Participants were recruited from a variety of sources including media advertisements; primary care; hospital in-patients; referred for physiotherapy or specialist opinion. Subjects with headache, even if possibly of nuchal origin, were excluded as were subjects with pain at multiple sites.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Outcomes were not specified a priori. Those reported in the review included pain assessed using visual analogue score (VAS), hours per day, pain relief, or McGill's pain scale); range of movement; and short-term sensory and affective.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the reviewers performed the selection.