Massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture therapies offered no benefits over usual care.
Low back pain remains one of the most common presenting complaints in primary care practice. In this NIH-supported study, 444 patients with acute-onset low back pain (duration, <21 days) were randomized to usual care (n=148) or usual care plus a choice of massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic therapy. Of the 296 patients who were randomized to choice, 51% chose massage, 26% chiropractic, 20% acupuncture, and 3% usual care only.
At 12 weeks, patients answered standardized questionnaires. Symptoms and function improved substantially, and to an equivalent degree, in the usual care and choice groups. Choice patients were more satisfied with their care; however, this satisfaction came at an additional cost of $244 per patient.
Comment: In this study of patients with acute-onset low back pain, adding massage, chiropractic, or acupuncture to usual care did not improve clinical outcomes, although patient satisfaction was somewhat enhanced. These results, viewed in conjunction with the higher costs generated by additional complementary therapies, fail to support the use of such therapies for acute low back pain.
— Jamaluddin Moloo, MD, MPH
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine February 13, 2007
Eisenberg DM et al. Addition of choice of complementary therapies to usual care for acute low back pain: A randomized controlled trial. Spine 2007 Jan 15; 32:151-8.