Randomised trial of acupuncture compared with conventional massage and “sham” laser acupuncture for treatment of chronic neck painCommentary: Controls for acupuncture—can we finally see the light?
Open accessAbstract
Objectives: To compare the efficacy of acupuncture and conventional massage for the treatment of chronic neck pain. Design: Prospective, randomised, placebo controlled trial. Setting: Three outpatient departments in Germany. Participants: 177 patients aged 18–85 years with chronic neck pain. Interventions: Patients were randomly allocated to five treatments over three weeks with acupuncture (56), massage (60), or “sham” laser acupuncture (61). Main outcome measures: Primary outcome measure: maximum pain related to motion (visual analogue scale) irrespective of direction of movement one week after treatment. Secondary outcome measures: range of motion (3D ultrasound real time motion analyser), pain related to movement in six directions (visual analogue scale), pressure pain threshold (pressure algometer), changes of spontaneous pain, motion related pain, global complaints (seven point scale), and quality of life (SF-36). Assessments were performed before, during, and one week and three months after treatment. Patients' beliefs in treatment were assessed. Results: One week after five treatments the acupuncture group showed a significantly greater improvement in motion related pain compared with massage (difference 24.22 (95% confidence interval 16.5 to 31.9), P=0.0052) but not compared with sham laser (17.28 (10.0 to 24.6), P=0.327). Differences between acupuncture and massage or sham laser were greater in the subgroup who had had pain for longer than five years (n=75) and in patients with myofascial pain syndrome (n=129). The acupuncture group had the best results in most secondary outcome measures. There were no differences in patients' beliefs in treatment. Conclusions: Acupuncture is an effective short term treatment for patients with chronic neck pain, but there is only limited evidence for long term effects after five treatments. What is already known on this topic: Acupuncture is a widespread complementary treatment Evidence from trials have given conflicting results on its use in the treatment of neck pain because of methodological shortcomings and because effects were compared either with alternative treatments or with different sham procedures imitating acupuncture, but not both What this study adds: Compared with sham laser acupuncture and massage, needle acupuncture has beneficial effects on mobility and pain related to motion in patients with chronic neck pain Acupuncture was clearly more effective than massage, but differences were not always significant compared with sham laser acupuncture Acupuncture was the best treatment for patients with the myofascial syndrome and those who had had pain for longer than five years
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Eight trials did not use adequate method of allocation concealment.
“Although all studies adopted random assignment of patients, eight trials did not use adequate method of allocation concealment [17–20, 23, 25, 30, 31].”
From Efficacy of Massage Therapy on Pain and Dysfunction in Patients with Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [17]
The Randomisation section reports that this trial randomly allocated patients using a software-generated block randomisation scheme. It does not assess whether allocation was adequately concealed or establish that eight trials lacked adequate concealment; the latter is a judgment about multiple studies, not a finding reported here. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTwo RCTs assessed short-term effects of massage therapy compared with acupuncture after 12 weeks of follow-up (n = 111; SMD, −0.10; 95% CI −0.47 to 0.28).
“With regard to pain relief, two RCTs assessed short-term effects of MT compared with acupuncture after 12 weeks of follow-up (n = 111; SMD, −0.10; 95% CI −0.47 to 0.28, in Figure 4) [17]”
From Efficacy of Massage Therapy on Pain and Dysfunction in Patients with Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [17]
The Abstract describes one randomised trial comparing massage with acupuncture, with assessment three months after treatment. The Secondary outcome measures section reports that differences in pain outcomes were small and no longer significant at that point. This paper does not report two RCTs or the pooled n = 111 and SMD with confidence interval cited in the sentence. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOne study reported that 21% of the participants experienced low blood pressure following treatment.
“One study reported that 21% of the participants experienced low blood pressure following treatment [17].”
From Efficacy of Massage Therapy on Pain and Dysfunction in Patients with Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [17]
The Side effects section reports low blood pressure among the mild reactions experienced by 33% of acupuncture participants, but does not give a percentage for low blood pressure specifically. The 21% figure refers to mild reactions in the sham-laser group, not to participants with low blood pressure. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMassage therapy did not show better immediate effects for neck pain than active therapies (SMD 0.13; 95% CI −0.38 to 0.63; P = 0.63).
“The meta-analysis did not show favorable effects of MT on pain reduction (n = 308; SMD, 0.13; 95% CI, −0.38 to 0.63; P = 0.63; heterogeneity: χ 2 = 12.70, P = 0.005, I 2 = 76%; Figure 2(a)).”
From Massage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The Main outcome measure and Secondary outcome measures sections report that acupuncture reduced motion-related pain more than massage immediately after treatment and one week later, supporting the limited point that massage did not outperform that active treatment. This paper is a trial of 177 patients, not the cited meta-analysis of 308; it does not report the pooled SMD, confidence interval, or P value in the claim. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredMassage therapy did not show significant effects on neck pain in followup (SMD −0.09; 95% CI −0.43 to 0.26; P = 0.62).
“The meta-analysis did not show significant effects of MT on pain in followup (n = 131; SMD, −0.09; 95% CI, −0.43 to 0.26; P = 0.62; heterogeneity: χ 2 = 0.14, P = 0.71, I 2 = 0%; Figure 3).”
From Massage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The Secondary outcome measures section reports that differences in pain between massage and acupuncture were no longer significant three months after treatment; the Discussion describes massage as having only a weak effect. This paper is a single trial, however, and does not report the cited meta-analysis or its pooled SMD, confidence interval, and P value. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Thirteen of the fourteen RCTs examining immediate effects of massage therapy on pain were included in the meta-analysis.
“Thirteen of them were included in the meta-analysis [17–21, 23, 25–31].”
From Efficacy of Massage Therapy on Pain and Dysfunction in Patients with Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [17]
More negative trials of massage therapy for neck and shoulder pain may never have been published, and only two negative studies were included in the review.
“Another possible source of bias is that the more negative trials of MT for neck and shoulder pain may be never published in the peer-reviewed literature, so there were only two negative studies in our review [8, 15].”
From Massage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
In two studies, massage therapy did not show better immediate effects on functional status than acupuncture (or sham laser acupuncture) or activator trigger point therapy.
“In the other two studies, MT did not show better immediate effects than acupuncture (or sham laser acupuncture) [8] or activator trigger point therapy [15].”
From Massage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
Twelve randomized controlled trials were eligible and included in the systematic review.
“Twelve high-quality studies were included.”
From Massage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [8]
The Results section describes one randomized trial involving 177 patients, not a systematic review. The Discussion mentions earlier reviews but does not state that twelve high-quality studies were included; searches for that count and for eligible trials found no such passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
1 retracted
Physical medicine modalities for mechanical neck disorders
Gross, A., Aker, P. D., Goldsmith, C. H., & Peloso, P. M. J. (1998) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd000961 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Retracted(1992) · PubMed · Cited by 33,716 · see citing works
Myofascial pain and dysfunction : the trigger point manual
Travell, J. G., & Simons, D. G. (1982) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 2,735 · see citing works
The MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey
Russo, J. E., Trujillo, C. A., Wingerson, D. K., Decker, K. P., Ries, R. R., Wetzler, H. P., & Roy‐Byrne, P. (1998) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/00005650-199805000-00015 · Cited by 1,308 · see citing works
Acupuncture, N. C. D. P. O. (1998) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.280.17.1518 · Cited by 990 · see citing works
Medicine in Europe: Complementary medicine in Europe
Fisher, P., & Ward, A. (1994) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.309.6947.107 · Cited by 761 · see citing works
Neck Pain in the General Population
Bovim, G., Schrader, H., & Sand, T. (1994) · Spine · doi:10.1097/00007632-199406000-00001 · Cited by 674 · see citing works
Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion
Cheng, X., & Deng, L.-Y. (1987) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 640 · see citing works
An Evidence-Based Resource for Pain Relief
McQuay, H., & Moore, R. A. (1998) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 565 · see citing works
Myofascial pain and dysfunction
Jg, T. (1983) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 551 · see citing works
The clinical course and prognostic factors of non-specific neck pain: a systematic review
Borghouts, J. A. J., Koes, B. W., & Bouter, L. M. (1998) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(98)00058-x · Cited by 529 · see citing works
The adult spine : principles and practice
Frymoyer, J. W., & Ducker, T. B. (1991) · Lippincott-Raven eBooks · Cited by 503 · see citing works
Cherkin, D. C., Eisenberg, D. M., Sherman, K. J., Barlow, W. E., Kaptchuk, T. J., Street, J. H., & Deyo, R. A. (2001) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinte.161.8.1081 · Cited by 449 · see citing works
The epidemiology of spinal disorders
Andersson, G. (1997) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 447 · see citing works
Myofascial pain syndrome of the head and neck: a review of clinical characteristics of 164 patients.
Fricton, J., Kroening, R., Haley, D., & Siegert, R. (1985) · Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology · doi:10.1016/0030-4220(85)90364-0 · Cited by 446 · see citing works
NIH Consensus Conference. Acupuncture.
(1998) · PubMed · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Conservative management of mechanical neck pain: systematic overview and meta-analysis
Aker, P. D., Gross, A., Goldsmith, C. H., & Peloso, P. M. J. (1996) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.313.7068.1291 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Placebo controls for acupuncture studies.
Vincent, C. A., & Lewith, G. T. (1995) · PubMed Central · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Kleinhenz, J., Streitberger, K., Windeler, J., Gübacher, A., Mavridis, G., & Martin, E. (1999) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(99)00107-4 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Understanding the burden of musculoskeletal conditions
Woolf, A. D., & Åkesson, K. (2001) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.322.7294.1079 · Cited by 293 · see citing works
Smith, L. A., Oldman, A., McQuay, H. J., & Moore, A. R. (2000) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(00)00234-7 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for neck pain
White, A. (1999) · British journal of rheumatology · doi:10.1093/rheumatology/38.2.143 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
Acupuncture, Trigger Points and Musculoskeletal Pain
Baldry, P. (2005) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-443-06644-3.x5001-3 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
Disorders of the Cervical Spine
(1980) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/c2013-0-06214-7 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey
Ware, J. E., & Sherbourne, C. D. (1992) · PsycTESTS Dataset · doi:10.1037/t06708-000 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
The Nosologic Status of the Whiplash Syndrome: A Critical Review Based on a Methodological Approach
Stovner, L. J. (1996) · Spine · doi:10.1097/00007632-199612010-00006 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Acupuncture, Trigger Points and Musculoskeletal Pain
Budd, K. (1994) · Postgraduate Medical Journal · doi:10.1136/pgmj.70.823.388 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Hagen, K. B., Harms‐Ringdahl, K., Enger, N. O., Hedenstad, R., & Morten, H. (1997) · Spine · doi:10.1097/00007632-199707010-00015 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
Credibility assessment in trials of acupuncture
Vincent, C. (1990) · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Neck Pain in the General Population
BOVIM, G., Schrader, H., & Sand, T. (1995) · Survey of Anesthesiology · doi:10.1097/00132586-199508000-00048 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Disorders of the Cervical Spine
Hardy, R. W. (1988) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/wnl.38.9.1507 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Massage Techniques in Rehabilitation Medicine
Braverman, D. L., & Schulman, R. A. (1999) · Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/s1047-9651(18)30185-2 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
An electronic method for measuring joint tenderness in rheumatoid arthritis
Atkins, C. J., Zielinski, A., Klinkhoff, A. V., Chalmers, A., Wade, J. P., Williams, D., Schulzer, M., & Cioppa, G. D. (1992) · Arthritis & Rheumatism · doi:10.1002/art.1780350408 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Physical Medicine Modalities for Mechanical Neck Disorders
(2000) · Acupuncture in Medicine · doi:10.1136/aim.18.2.129 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Natalis, M., & König, A. (1999) · Ultraschall in der Medizin - European Journal of Ultrasound · doi:10.1055/s-1999-14237 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Self-citationBogduk, N. (1984) · PubMed · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Teasing Apart the Quality and Validity in Systematic Reviews of Acupuncture
Cummings, M. (2000) · Acupuncture in Medicine · doi:10.1136/aim.18.2.104 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citationDiagnostische Kriterien und neue Klassifikation des Halswirbelsäulensyndroms
Schöps, P., Siebert, U., Azad, S. C., Friedle, A. M., & Beyer, A. (2000) · Der Schmerz · doi:10.1007/s004820070041 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citation[Diagnostic criteria and new classification of the cervical spine syndrome].
Schöps, P., Siebert, U., Azad, S. C., Friedle, A. M., & Beyer, A. (2000) · PubMed · doi:10.1007/s004820000002 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Irnich D. Acupuncture in complaints of the locomotor system, especially of the cervical syndrome [Akupunktur bei Beschwerden des Bewe- gungssystems am Beispiel des HWS-Syndrom]. Deutsch Z Akupunkt 1999;2:81-90.
- Natalis M, König A. Noninvasive, accurate and reliable measurement of cervical spine motion with a 3D real-time ultrasound motion analyzer [Nichtinvasive, akkurate und reliable Messung der Halswirbelsäulenbe- weglichkeit mittels ultraschallgestützter 3D-Echtzeitanalyse]. Ultraschall Med 1999;20:70-3.
- Bogduk N. Neck pain. Aust Fam Physician 1984;13:26-30.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Vickers, A. J., Cronin, A. M., Maschino, A. C., Lewith, G. T., MacPherson, H., Foster, N. E., Sherman, K. J., Witt, C. M., & Linde, K. (2012) · Archives of Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.3654 · Cited by 989 · see citing works
Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis
Vickers, A. J., Vertosick, E., Lewith, G. T., MacPherson, H., Foster, N. E., Sherman, K. J., Irnich, D., Witt, C. M., & Linde, K. (2017) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005 · Cited by 908 · see citing works
Self-citationTreatment of Neck Pain: Noninvasive Interventions
Hurwitz, E. L., Carragee, E. J., van der Velde, G., Carroll, L., Nordin, M. C., Guzmán, J., Peloso, P. M. J., Holm, L. W., Côté, P., Hogg‐Johnson, S., et al. (2008) · Spine · doi:10.1097/brs.0b013e3181644b1d · Cited by 422 · see citing works
Dry needling: a literature review with implications for clinical practice guidelines
Dunning, J. R., Butts, R., Mourad, F., Young, I. A., Flannigan, S., & Perreault, T. (2013) · Physical Therapy Reviews · doi:10.1179/108331913x13844245102034 · Cited by 353 · see citing works
Anti‐inflammatory actions of acupuncture
Zijlstra, F. J., Lange, I. V. D. B.-D., Huygen, F. J. P. M., & Klein, J. (2003) · Mediators of Inflammation · doi:10.1080/0962935031000114943 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Côté, P., Wong, J. J., Sutton, D. A., Shearer, H. M., Mior, S. A., Randhawa, K. A., Ameis, A., Carroll, L., Nordin, M. C., Yu, H., et al. (2016) · European Spine Journal · doi:10.1007/s00586-016-4467-7 · Cited by 298 · see citing works
Tough, E. A., White, A. R., Cummings, M., Richards, S. H., & Campbell, J. L. (2008) · European Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2008.02.006 · Cited by 294 · see citing works
Self-citationStudy of acupuncture for low back pain in recent 20 years: a bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace
Liang, Y., Li, Y., Zhao, J., Wang, X., Zhu, H., & Chen, X. (2017) · Journal of Pain Research · doi:10.2147/jpr.s132808 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Furlan, A. D., Yazdi, F., Tsertsvadze, A., Gross, A., van Tulder, M. W., Santaguida, L., Gagnier, J. J., Ammendolia, C., Dryden, T., Doucette, S. P., et al. (2011) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2012/953139 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Traditional Chinese Medicine for Neck Pain and Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Yuan, Q., Guo, T., Liu, L., Sun, F., & Zhang, Y. (2015) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117146 · Cited by 256 · see citing works
Irnich, D., Behrens, N., Gleditsch, J. M., Stör, W., Schreiber, M. A., Schöps, P., Vickers, A. J., & Beyer, A. (2002) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(02)00062-3 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
Self-citationVickers, A. J., & Linde, K. (2014) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2013.285478 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
White, A. R., Filshie, J., & Cummings, M. (2001) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1054/ctim.2001.0489 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Self-citationTreatment of Neck Pain: Noninvasive Interventions
Hurwitz, E. L., Carragee, E. J., van der Velde, G., Carroll, L., Nordin, M. C., Guzmán, J., Peloso, P. M. J., Holm, L. W., Côté, P., Hogg‐Johnson, S., et al. (2009) · Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2008.11.017 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Regional myofascial pain: diagnosis and management
Cummings, M., & Baldry, P. (2007) · Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology · doi:10.1016/j.berh.2006.12.006 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Self-citationMolsberger, A. F., Mau, J., Pawelec, D. B., & Winkler, J. (2002) · Pain · doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(02)00269-5 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Fleckenstein, J., Zaps, D., Rüger, L. J., Lehmeyer, L., Freiberg, F. J., Lang, P. M., & Irnich, D. (2010) · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders · doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-32 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Self-citationMacPherson, H., Vertosick, E., Foster, N. E., Lewith, G. T., Linde, K., Sherman, K. J., Witt, C. M., & Vickers, A. J. (2016) · Pain · doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000747 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Sham interventions in randomized clinical trials of acupuncture—a review
Dincer, F., & Linde, K. (2003) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0965-2299(03)00124-9 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Acupuncture for neck disorders
Trinh, K., Graham, N., Irnich, D., Cameron, I. D., & Forget, M. (2016) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004870.pub4 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
Self-citationRetractedComparison of Laser, Dry Needling, and Placebo Laser Treatments in Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Ilbuldu, E., Çakmak, A., Dişçi, R., & Aydın, R. (2004) · Photomedicine and Laser Surgery · doi:10.1089/pho.2004.22.306 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Acupuncture for Pain and Dysfunction After Neck Dissection: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Pfister, D. G., Cassileth, B. R., Deng, G. E., Yeung, K. S., Lee, J. S., Garrity, D., Cronin, A. M., Lee, N. Y., Kraus, D. H., Shaha, A. R., et al. (2010) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2009.26.9860 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Giles, L. G. F., & Müller, R. (2003) · Spine · doi:10.1097/00007632-200307150-00003 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
YLINEN, J. J., Wirén, K., & HÄKKINEN, A. H. (2007) · Acta Dermato Venereologica · doi:10.2340/16501977-0015 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Kong, J., Fufa, D. T., Gerber, A. J., Rosman, I. S., Vangel, M. G., Gracely, R. H., & Gollub, R. L. (2004) · Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2004.10.005 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain
Witt, C. M., Jena, S., Brinkhaus, B., Liecker, B., Wegscheider, K., & Willich, S. N. (2006) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2006.05.013 · Cited by 179 · see citing works
Crawford, C., Boyd, C., Paat, C. F., Price, A., Xenakis, L., Yang, E., Zhang, W., & the Evidence for Massage Therapy (EMT) Working Group (2016) · Pain Medicine · doi:10.1093/pm/pnw099 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Myofascial Pain Syndrome Treatments
Borg‐Stein, J., & Iaccarino, M. A. (2014) · Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2014.01.012 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Bervoets, D. C., Luijsterburg, P. A. J., Alessie, J., Buijs, M. J., & Verhagen, A. P. (2015) · Journal of physiotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2015.05.018 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Cerezo-Téllez, E., Torres-Lacomba, M., Fuentes-Gallardo, I., Pérez-Muñoz, M., del Moral, O. M., Lluch‐Girbés, E., Prieto, L., & Falla, D. (2016) · Pain · doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000591 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Massage for mechanical neck disorders
Patel, K. C., Gross, A., Graham, N., Goldsmith, C. H., Ezzo, J., Morien, A., & Peloso, P. M. J. (2012) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004871.pub4 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Acupuncture for Neck Disorders
Trinh, K., Graham, N., Gross, A., Goldsmith, C. H., Wang, E., Cameron, I. D., & Kay, T. (2007) · Spine · doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000252100.61002.d4 · Cited by 147 · see citing works
Lau, H. M. C., Chiu, T. T. W., & Lam, T.-H. (2010) · Manual Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.08.003 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Lauche, R., Cramer, H., Hohmann, C., Choi, K., Rampp, T., Saha, F. J., Musial, F., Langhorst, J., & Dobos, G. J. (2011) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2012/429718 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Vernon, H. T., Humphreys, K., & Hagino, C. (2007) · Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2007.01.014 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
How many repeated measures in repeated measures designs? Statistical issues for comparative trials
Vickers, A. J. (2003) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-3-22 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Effect of manual therapy and stretching on neck muscle strength and mobility in chronic neck pain
HÄKKINEN, A. H., Salo, P. K., Tarvainen, U., Wirén, K., & YLINEN, J. J. (2007) · Acta Dermato Venereologica · doi:10.2340/16501977-0094 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Sustained natural apophyseal glides (SNAGs) are an effective treatment for cervicogenic dizziness
Reid, S. A., Rivett, D. A., Katekar, M. G., & Callister, R. (2008) · Manual Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.math.2007.03.006 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Vas, J., Perea‐Milla, E., Méndez, C., Navarro, C. S., Rubio, J. M. L., Brioso, M., & Obrero, I. G. (2006) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2006.07.002 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Vickers, A. J., Rees, R. W., Zollman, C., McCarney, R., Smith, C. M., Ellis, N., Fisher, P., van Haselen, R. A., Wonderling, D. E., & Grieve, R. (2004) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta8480 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
MacPherson, H., Vertosick, E., Lewith, G. T., Linde, K., Sherman, K. J., Witt, C. M., & Vickers, A. J. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093739 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Randomized Trial of Therapeutic Massage for Chronic Neck Pain
Sherman, K. J., Cherkin, D. C., Hawkes, R. J., Miglioretti, D. L., & Deyo, R. A. (2009) · The Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/ajp.0b013e31818b7912 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Effect of long‐term neck muscle training on pressure pain threshold: A randomized controlled trial
Ylinen, J., Takala, E., Kautiainen, H., Nykänen, M., Häkkinen, A., Pohjolainen, T., Karppi, S., & Airaksinen, O. (2005) · European Journal of Pain · doi:10.1016/j.ejpain.2005.01.001 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Wittink, H. M., Turk, D. C., Carr, D. B., Sukiennik, A., & Rogers, W. H. (2004) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/00002508-200405000-00002 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Acupuncture Analgesia: II. Clinical Considerations
Wang, S., Kain, Z. N., & White, P. F. (2008) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/ane.0b013e318160644d · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Gottschling, S., Meyer, S., Gribova, I., Distler, L., Berrang, J., Gortner, L., Graf, N. M., & Shamdeen, G. M. (2007) · Pain · doi:10.1016/j.pain.2007.10.004 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Sator, S., Széles, J. C., Scharbert, G., Michalek-Sauberer, A., Kober, A., Heinze, G., & Kozek‐Langenecker, S. A. (2003) · Anesthesia & Analgesia · doi:10.1213/01.ane.0000082246.67897.0b · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Reid, S. A., Rivett, D. A., Katekar, M. G., & Callister, R. (2013) · Physical Therapy · doi:10.2522/ptj.20120483 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Reid, S. A., Callister, R., Katekar, M. G., & Rivett, D. A. (2014) · Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2014.04.009 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Effectiveness of Massage Therapy for Chronic, Non‐Malignant Pain: A Review
Tsao, J. C. I. (2007) · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1093/ecam/nel109 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Underpowering in randomized trials reporting a sample size calculation
Vickers, A. J. (2003) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00141-0 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
Lauche, R., Materdey, S., Cramer, H., Haller, H., Stange, R., Dobos, G. J., & Rampp, T. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065378 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Massage for Mechanical Neck Disorders: A Systematic Review
Ezzo, J., Haraldsson, B. G., Gross, A. R., Myers, C. D., Morien, A., Goldsmith, C. H., Bronfort, G., & Peloso, P. M. (2007) · Spine · doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000254099.07294.21 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Wu, S., Ma, C., Mai, M., & Li, G. (2010) · Spine · doi:10.1097/brs.0b013e3181c6ea1b · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Acupuncture for neck disorders
Trinh, K., Graham, N., Gross, A., Goldsmith, C. H., Wang, E., Cameron, I. D., Kay, T., & Cervical Overview Group (2006) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004870.pub3 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
RetractedPlacebo Acupuncture Devices: Considerations for Acupuncture Research
Zhu, D., Gao, Y., Chang, J., & Kong, J. (2013) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2013/628907 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Yip, Y. B., & Tse, S. H. M. (2004) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2003.12.003 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Ottawa panel evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on therapeutic massage for neck pain
Brosseau, L., Wells, G. A., Tugwell, P., Casimiro, L., Novikov, M., Loew, L., Sredic, D., Clément, S., Gravelle, A., Hua, K., et al. (2012) · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2012.04.001 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Neck Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Fu, L., Li, J.-T., & Wu, W.-S. (2009) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0135 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Chatchawan, U., Thinkhamrop, B., Kharmwan, S., Knowles, J., & Eungpinichpong, W. (2005) · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2005.02.001 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
The Practice of Acupuncture: Who Are the Providers and What Do They Do?
Sherman, K. J. (2005) · The Annals of Family Medicine · doi:10.1370/afm.248 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Is Sham Laser a Valid Control for Acupuncture Trials?
Irnich, D., Salih, N., Offenbächer, M., & Fleckenstein, J. (2010) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1093/ecam/neq009 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Self-citationMassage Therapy for Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Kong, L. J., Zhan, H. S., Cheng, Y. W., Yuan, W. A., Chen, B., & Fang, M. (2013) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2013/613279 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Snodgrass, S. J., Rivett, D. A., Sterling, M. M., & Vicenzino, B. (2014) · Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy · doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.4778 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Zhang, Z., Li, R., Chen, Y., Yang, H., Fitzgerald, M., Wang, Q., Xu, Z., Huang, N., Lu, D., & Luo, L. (2024) · Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine · doi:10.1097/hm9.0000000000000089 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Randomized Controlled Trial of Pulsating Cupping (Pneumatic Pulsation Therapy) for Chronic Neck Pain
Cramer, H., Lauche, R., Hohmann, C., Choi, K., Rampp, T., Musial, F., Langhorst, J., & Dobos, G. J. (2011) · Forschende Komplementärmedizin / Research in Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1159/000335294 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Schwerla, F., Bischoff, A., Nürnberger, A., Genter, P., Guillaume, J.-P., & Resch, K. (2008) · Forschende Komplementärmedizin / Research in Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1159/000132397 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Massage for mechanical neck disorders
Haraldsson, B., Gross, A., Myers, C. D., Ezzo, J., Morien, A., Goldsmith, C. H., Peloso, P. M. J., Brønfort, G., & Cervical Overview Group (2006) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004871.pub3 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Cheng, Y. H., & Huang, G. C. (2014) · Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2014/204360 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Treatment of Neck Pain: Noninvasive Interventions
Hurwitz, E. L., Carragee, E. J., van der Velde, G., Carroll, L., Nordin, M. C., Guzmán, J., Peloso, P. M. J., Holm, L. W., Côté, P., Hogg‐Johnson, S., et al. (2008) · European Spine Journal · doi:10.1007/s00586-008-0631-z · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Mao, J. J. J., & Kapur, R. (2010) · Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice · doi:10.1016/j.pop.2009.09.010 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Vickers, A. J. (2002) · BMJ Quality & Safety · doi:10.1136/qhc.11.1.92 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Efficacy of selected complementary and alternative medicine interventions for chronic pain
Tan, G., Craine, M. H., Bair, M. J., Garcia, M. K., Giordano, J., Jensen, M. P., McDonald, S. M., Patterson, D. R., Sherman, R. A., Williams, W., et al. (2007) · The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development · doi:10.1682/jrrd.2006.06.0063 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
The role of acupuncture in pain management
Audette, J. F., & Ryan, A. (2004) · Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.pmr.2004.03.009 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Zotelli, V. L. R., Grillo, C. M., Gil, M. L. B., Wada, R. S., Sato, J. E., & de Sousa, M. D. L. R. (2017) · Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jams.2017.08.005 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Annaswamy, T. M., Luigi, A. J. D., O’Neill, B. J., Keole, N. S., & Berbrayer, D. (2011) · PM&R · doi:10.1016/j.pmrj.2011.06.013 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Anderson-Peacock, E., Blouin, J., Bryans, R., Danis, N., Furlan, A. D., Marcoux, H., Potter, B., Ruegg, R. P., Stein, J. G., & White, E. (2005) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 57 · see citing works
PERTINENT DRY NEEDLING CONSIDERATIONS FOR MINIMIZING ADVERSE EFFECTS - PART ONE.
Halle, J. S., & Halle, R. (2016) · PubMed Central · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Credibility of a Newly Designed Placebo Needle for Clinical Trials in Acupuncture Research
Fink, M., Gutenbrunner, C. M., Rollnik, J. D., & Karst, M. (2001) · Complementary Medicine Research · doi:10.1159/000057254 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Lauche, R., Wübbeling, K., Lüdtke, R., Cramer, H., Choi, K., Rampp, T., Michalsen, A., Langhorst, J., & Dobos, G. J. (2012) · The American Journal of Chinese Medicine · doi:10.1142/s0192415x1250067x · Cited by 55 · see citing works
An ICON Overview on Physical Modalities for Neck Pain and Associated Disorders
Graham, N., Gross, A. R., Carlesso, L. C., Santaguida, P. L., MacDermid, J. C., Walton, D., & Ho, E. (2013) · The Open Orthopaedics Journal · doi:10.2174/1874325001307010440 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Acupuncture in the Treatment of Rheumatic Diseases
Amezaga, M., & Suarez-Almazor, M. E. (2012) · Current Rheumatology Reports · doi:10.1007/s11926-012-0295-x · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Wilke, J., Vogt, L., & Banzer, W. B. (2018) · Biology of Sport · doi:10.5114/biolsport.2018.78055 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care: a programme of research
MacPherson, H., Vickers, A. J., Bland, M., Torgerson, D. J., Corbett, M. S., Spackman, E., Saramago, P., Woods, B. S., Weatherly, H. L. A., Sculpher, M., et al. (2017) · Programme Grants for Applied Research · doi:10.3310/pgfar05030 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Massage therapy for essential hypertension: a systematic review
Xiong, X., Li, S. J., & Zhang, Y. Q. (2014) · Journal of Human Hypertension · doi:10.1038/jhh.2014.52 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Savolainen, A. (2004) · Occupational Medicine · doi:10.1093/occmed/kqh070 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Developing a Research Strategy for Acupuncture
Lewith, G. T., White, P., & Kaptchuk, T. J. (2006) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/01.ajp.0000210908.42299.1a · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Simma-Kletschka, I., Gleditsch, J. M., Simma, L., & Piehslinger, E. (2009) · BDJ · doi:10.1038/sj.bdj.2009.959 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-citationTobbackx, Y., Meeus, M., Wauters, L., Vilder, P. D., Roose, J., Verhaeghe, J., & Nijs (2012) · European Journal of Pain · doi:10.1002/j.1532-2149.2012.00215.x · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Vickers, A. J. (2004) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/00002508-200409000-00006 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Measuring expectations of benefit from treatment in acupuncture trials: A systematic review
Prady, S. L., Burch, J., Vanderbloemen, L., Crouch, S., & MacPherson, H. (2015) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2015.01.007 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Hammerschlag, R., Milley, R. J., Colbert, A. P., Weih, J., Yohalem-Ilsley, B., Mist, S. D., & Aickin, M. G. (2010) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2011/183910 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Salo, P. K., Ylönen-Käyrä, N., HÄKKINEN, A. H., Kautiainen, H., Mälkiä, E., & YLINEN, J. J. (2012) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.3109/09638288.2012.665128 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
A survey of training and practice patterns of massage therapists in two US states
Sherman, K. J., Cherkin, D. C., Kahn, J. R., Erro, J. H., Hrbek, A. L., Deyo, R. A., & Eisenberg, D. M. (2005) · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1186/1472-6882-5-13 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Reid, S. A., Rivett, D. A., Katekar, M. G., & Callister, R. (2012) · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders · doi:10.1186/1471-2474-13-201 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Acupuncture for chronic neck pain: a pilot for a randomised controlled trial
Salter, G. C., Roman, M., Bland, M. J., & MacPherson, H. (2006) · BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders · doi:10.1186/1471-2474-7-99 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Melchart, D., Linde, K., Streng, A., Reitmayr, S., Hoppe, A. M., Brinkhaus, B., Becker‐Witt, C., Wagenpfeil, S., Pfaffenrath, V., Hammes, M. G., et al. (2003) · Complementary Medicine Research · doi:10.1159/000073473 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
The Effect of Patient Characteristics on Acupuncture Treatment Outcomes
Witt, C. M., Vertosick, E., Foster, N. E., Lewith, G. T., Linde, K., MacPherson, H., Sherman, K. J., & Vickers, A. J. (2019) · Clinical Journal of Pain · doi:10.1097/ajp.0000000000000691 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Butts, R., Dunning, J. R., & Serafino, C. (2020) · Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.12.003 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Effects of Acupuncture on Sensory Perception: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Baeumler, P. I., Fleckenstein, J., Takayama, S., Simang, M., Seki, T., & Irnich, D. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113731 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Irnich, D., Cummings, M., Behrens, N., Molzen, H., König, A., Gleditsch, J., Krauss, M., Natalis, M., Senn, E., Beyer, A., & Schöps, P.
- Affiliations
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Irnich, Dominik
- ORCID
- Cummings, Mike
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2001-06-30
- Volume
- 322
- Issue
- 7302
- Pages
- 1574
- ISSN
- 0007-1447 (ISSN-L)
- 0959-8138
- 1468-5833
- PMC
- PMC33515
- OpenAlex
- W1520657679
- Cited by
- 313
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.bmj.com/company/legal-information/terms-conditions/legal-information/tdm-licencepolicy (tdm)
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie
- Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Myofascial pain diagnosis and treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Keywords
- acupuncture, chronic neck pain, massage, myofascial pain syndrome, range of motion, pressure pain threshold, treatment beliefs, complementary therapy, quality of life, long-term treatment outcomes, patient satisfaction
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Chronic Disease, Facial Neuralgia, Female, Humans, Male, Massage, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Acupuncture Analgesia, Confidence Intervals, Chi-Square Distribution, Neck Pain, Laser Therapy
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
