Journal of acupuncture and meridian studies
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J Acupunct Meridian Stud · Feb 2015
Review Meta AnalysisLaser acupuncture for treating musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Laser acupuncture has been studied extensively over several decades to establish evidence-based clinical practice. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of laser acupuncture on pain and functional outcomes when it is used to treat musculoskeletal disorders and to update existing evidence with data from recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A computer-based literature search of the databases MEDLINE, AMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTSDiscus, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Current Contents Connect, Web of Science, and SCOPUS was used to identify RCTs comparing between laser acupuncture and control interventions. ⋯ Negative or inconclusive studies commonly failed to demonstrate these features. For all diagnostic subgroups, positive effects for both pain and functional outcomes were more consistently seen at long-term follow-up rather than immediately after treatment. Moderate-quality evidence supports the effectiveness of laser acupuncture in managing musculoskeletal pain when applied in an appropriate treatment dosage; however, the positive effects are seen only at long-term follow-up and not immediately after the cessation of treatment.
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J Acupunct Meridian Stud · Feb 2015
Case ReportsEffects of acupuncture, core-stability exercises, and treadmill walking exercises in treating a patient with postsurgical lumbar disc herniation: a clinical case report.
The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of acupuncture, core-stability exercises, and treadmill 12-minute walking exercises in treating patients with postsurgical lumbar disc herniation. A 34-year-old woman with a history lumbar disc prolapse who had undergone lumbar disc surgery on two different occasions was treated using acupuncture, core-stability exercises, and treadmill walking exercises three times per week for 12 weeks. The outcome measures used in this study were pain intensity, spinal range of movement, and general health. ⋯ In a similar vein, the patient's general health showed improvement of >100% after 12 weeks of treatment. Pre-treatment scores of spinal flexion and left-side flexion, which measured 20 cm and 12 cm, respectively, increased to 25 cm and 16 cm after 12 weeks of treatment. This study showed that acupuncture, core-stability exercises, and treadmill walking exercises were useful in relieving pain, increasing spinal range of movement, and improving the health of a patient with postsurgical lumbar disc herniation.