Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: protocol for a multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Use of acupuncture has widely increased in patients with chronic low back pain. However, the evidence supporting its efficacy remains unclear. In this article, we report the design and the protocol of a multi-center randomized sham-controlled trial to treat chronic low back pain. Our goal is to verify the effect of acupuncture on chronic low back pain.

Methods/design

This study is a multi-center randomized sham-controlled trial with 2 parallel arms. Participants included in the study met the following criteria: 1) low back pain lasting for at least the last 3 months, 2) a documented >or= 5 points on a 10 cm visual analog scale for bothersomeness of low back pain at the time of screening and 3) between 18 and 65 years of age. Participants were blinded to the real a

SUBMITTER: Lee JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2896349 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature