Acupuncture for Treatment of Persistent Arm Pain Due to Repetitive Use: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Details

• Personal Author:
  Davis RB ; Goldman RH ; Kaptchuk TJ ; Kim R ; Legedza ATR ; Park SK ; Schnyer RN ; Stason WB
• Description:
  Objective: To compare true and sham acupuncture in their abilities to relieve arm pain and improve arm function in individuals with arm pain due to repetitive use. Methods: Participants with persistent arm pain (N=123) were randomly assigned to true or sham acupuncture groups and received 8 treatments over 4 weeks. The primary outcome was intensity of pain (10-point scale) and secondary outcomes were arm symptoms, arm function, and grip strength. Outcomes were measured during treatment (at 2 and 4 wk) and 1 month after treatment ended. Results: Arm pain scores improved in both groups during the treatment period, but improvements were significantly greater in the sham group than in the true acupuncture group. This difference disappeared by 1 month after treatment ended. The true acupuncture group experienced more side effects, predominately mild pain at time of treatments. Discussion: Sham acupuncture reduced arm pain more than true acupuncture during treatment, but the difference did not persist after 1 month. Mild side effects from true acupuncture may have blunted any positive treatment effects. Overall, this study did not find evidence to support the effectiveness of true acupuncture in treatment of persistent arm pain due to repetitive use. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Ergonomics Men Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Vibration Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Acupuncture Arm Injuries Author Keywords: Arm Pain Exposure Levels Extremities Force Humans MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Musculoskeletal System Disorders Posture Randomized Controlled Trial Repetitive Work Risk Factors Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  0749-8047
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; Massachusetts ; Michigan ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  211-218
• Volume:
  24
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055812
• Citation:
  Clin J Pain 2008 Mar; 24(3):211-218
• Contact Point Address:
  Rose H. Goldman, MD, MPH, Cambridge Hospital, Macht Center, Room 427, 1493 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
• Email:
  rgoldman@challiance.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  The Clinical Journal of Pain
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:130bb4c2c137a6b88bc18901a1ce69bb073bab4d0d3c59b96a25ef71a5505b5651c88603eedd9902e0d08603f564634459462247c5964a2097e2c809f0d3120d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213580/cdc_213580_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 198.01 KB ]