• Jiufei Fang, Hangyu Shi, Weiming Wang, He Chen, Min Yang, Shuai Gao, Hao Yao, Lili Zhu, Yan Yan, and Zhishun Liu.
• Department of Acupuncture, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, No.5 Beixiange St, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100053, China.
• Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2024 Sep 1; 28 (9): 957969957-969.

ObjectiveChronic neck pain, a prevalent health concern characterized by frequent recurrence, requires exploration of treatment modalities that provide sustained relief. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the durable effects of acupuncture on chronic neck pain.MethodsWe conducted a literature search up to March 2024 in six databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, encompassing both English and Chinese language publications. The main focus of evaluation included pain severity, functional disability, and quality of life, assessed at least 3 months post-acupuncture treatment. The risk of bias assessment was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool, and meta-analyses were performed where applicable.ResultsEighteen randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis. Acupuncture as an adjunct therapy could provide sustained pain relief at three (SMD: - 0.79; 95% CI - 1.13 to - 0.46; p < 0.01) and six (MD: - 18.13; 95% CI - 30.18 to - 6.07; p < 0.01) months post-treatment. Compared to sham acupuncture, acupuncture did not show a statistically significant difference in pain alleviation (MD: - 0.12; 95% CI - 0.06 to 0.36; p = 0.63). However, it significantly improved functional outcomes as evidenced by Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire scores 3 months post-treatment (MD: - 6.06; 95% CI - 8.20 to - 3.92; p < 0.01). Although nine studies reported an 8.5%-13.8% probability of adverse events, these were mild and transitory adverse events.ConclusionAcupuncture as an adjunct therapy may provide post-treatment pain relief lasting at least 3 months for patients with chronic neck pain, although it is not superior to sham acupuncture, shows sustained efficacy in improving functional impairment for over 3 months, with a good safety profile.© 2024. The Author(s).

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