Acupuncture for the Management of Low Back Pain.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

This evidence-based systematic review will focus on the use of acupuncture and its role in the treatment of low back pain to help better guide physicians in their practice. It will cover the background and the burden of low back pain and present the current options for treatment and weigh the evidence that is available to support acupuncture as a treatment modality for low back pain.

RECENT FINDINGS:

Low back pain (LBP), defined as a disorder of the lumbosacral spine and categorized as acute, subacute, or chronic, can be a debilitating condition for many patients. Chronic LBP is more typically defined by its chronicity with pain persisting > 12 weeks in duration. Conventional treatment for chronic LBP includes both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic options. First-line pharmacologic therapy involves the use of NSAIDs, then SNRI/TCA/skeletal muscle relaxants, and antiepileptics. Surgery is usually not recommended for chronic non-specific LBP patients. According to the 2016 CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and the 2017 American College of Physicians (ACP) clinical practice guidelines for chronic pain, non-pharmacologic interventions, acupuncture can be a first-line treatment for patients suffering from chronic low back pain. Many studies have been done, and most show promising results for acupuncture as an alternative treatment for low back pain. Due to non-standardized methods for acupuncture with many variations, standardization remains a challenge.

• Authors: Ivan Urits, Jeffrey Kway Wang, Kristina Yancey, Mohammad Mousa, Jai Won Jung, Amnon A Berger, Islam Mohammad Shehata, Amir Elhassan, Alan D Kaye, Omar Viswanath
• Journal: Current pain and headache reports (Curr Pain Headache Rep) Vol. 25 Issue 1 Pg. 2 (Jan 14 2021) ISSN: 1534-3081 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33443607 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Anticonvulsants
• Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
• Glucocorticoids
• Neuromuscular Agents
• Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors

Topics

• Acupuncture Therapy (methods)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Anticonvulsants (therapeutic use)
• Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic (therapeutic use)
• Chronic Pain (therapy)
• Electroacupuncture (methods)
• Glucocorticoids (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Injections, Epidural
• Low Back Pain (therapy)
• Neuromuscular Agents (therapeutic use)
• Pain Management
• Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (therapeutic use)