Rheumatology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study.
Acupuncture is commonly used by patients with chronic painful musculoskeletal disorders. There are, however, few well-designed studies of its efficacy. This paper describes a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over design to evaluate acupuncture as a useful treatment adjunct in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ Acupuncture of this type cannot be considered as a useful adjunct to therapy in patients with RA. Possible reasons why this is the case are discussed.