Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Clinical trials were eligible.
Specific interventions included in the review
Experimental interventions that included acupuncture were eligible. Three of the four studies used the Western Medicine model of acupuncture but details of the specific interventions differed. Other acupuncture techniques included a traditional Chinese technique (though the author of the review questions this definition), and acupuncture according to the classical Oriental median theory. The practitioners included physiotherapists trained in acupuncture, a surgeon trained in a traditional Chinese technique, and acupuncturists with certified training. The control interventions included placebo, sham acupuncture or a waiting-list.
Participants included in the review
Patients with lower-back pain were eligible. The inclusion and exclusion criteria varied among the included studies. One trial defined the inclusion criteria for the participants as patients with chronic nociceptive lower-back pain, whereas the other studies did not define chronic lower-back pain.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The inclusion criteria were not defined in terms of the outcomes. The most important outcomes assessed in the individual studies were pain intensity measurement, visual analogue scale of pain, and the number of patients reporting improvement or recovery.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author does not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the reviewers performed the selection.