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Objective: To evaluate whether tuina is more effective and cost-effective in reducing pain compared to no intervention in patients with chronic neck pain. Design: Single-center randomized two-armed controlled trial. Setting: University outpatient clinic specialized in Integrative Medicine. Subjects: Outpatients with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated to tuina or no intervention. Intervention: Six tuina treatments within 3 weeks. Outcome measures: The primary outcome was the mean neck pain intensity during the previous 7 days on a visual analogue scale after 4 weeks (VAS, 0-100 mm, 0 = no pain, 100 = worst imaginable pain). Secondary outcomes included Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPDS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), health-related quality of life (12-item quality-of-life questionnaire [SF-12]), medication intake, and cost-effectiveness after 4 and 12 weeks. Statistical analysis included analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline values and a full economic analysis from a societal perspective. Results: Altogether, 92 outpatients were included (46 in both groups, 87% female, mean age 45.4 [standard deviation ±9.7], and mean VAS 57.7± 11.5). Tuina treatment led to a clinically meaningful reduction in neck pain intensity (group differences, 4 weeks: -22.8 mm [95% confidence interval, -31.7 to -13.8]; p<0.001 and 12 weeks: -17.9 mm [-27.1 to -8.8], p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were observed. Total costs as well as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) did not differ significantly between the groups. When taking group differences into account independently from their statistical significance, costs per QALY gained (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio) would range within a cost-effective area from €7,566 (for costs €10.28 per session) to €39,414 (cost €35 per session). Conclusion: An additional treatment with six tuina sessions over 3 weeks was effective, safe and relatively cost-effective for patients with chronic neck pain. A future trial should compare tuina to other best care options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Descriptions of the interventions used in acupuncture studies are often incomplete. The aim of this paper is to describe participating trial physicians and interventions in a randomised trial of acupuncture for low back pain. Design: Three-armed, randomized, controlled multicenter trial with 1-year follow-up. A total of 301 patients with low-back pain were randomized to 12 sessions of semistandardized acupuncture (at least six local and two distant points needled bilaterally from a selection of predefined points, but individual choice of additional body or ear acupuncture points possible), minimal acupuncture (superficial needling of at least 6 of 10 predefined, bilateral, distant nonacupuncture points), or a waiting list control (2 months no acupuncture followed by semistandardised acupuncture described above). Outcome measures: Participating trial physicians and interventions. Results: Forty-five (45) physicians specializing in acupuncture (mean age 44 ± 7.8 years, 23 (51%) female) in 30 outpatient centers in Germany provided the interventions. The median duration of acupuncture training of trial physicians was 350 hours (range 140–2508). The most frequently reported Chinese diagnosis was Kidney deficiency (39%), followed by qi and Blood stagnation (24%), and bi syndrome (20%). The total number of needles used was 17.3 ± 4.2 in the acupuncture group compared to 12.3 ± 1.2 in the minimal acupuncture group. In total, 40 physicians (89%) stated that they would have treated patients similarly or in exactly the same way outside of the trial, whereas 5 (11%) stated that they would have treated patients differently. Conclusions: For most trial physicians, the semistandardized acupuncture strategy used in this trial was an acceptable compromise for an efficacy study. However, a relevant minority of participating trial physicians stated that they would have treated patients differently outside of the trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Qigong Versus Exercise Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain in Adults--A Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial" by Susanne Blodt, Daniel Pach, Theresa Kaster, Rainer Ludke, Anett Reishauer and Claudia M. Witt is presented.