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Complementary health care associated with reduction in neck pain

Patients who underwent acupuncture sessions or Alexander Technique lessons experienced a significant reduction in long-term neck pain, according to findings published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Neck pain is a leading cause of disability globally, and management of chronic neck pain is complex," Hugh MacPherson, BSc, PhD, a senior research fellow at the University of York, United Kingdom, and colleagues wrote. "Persons with this condition often seek complementary health care, such as acupuncture or Alexander Technique lessons, but evidence is lacking on long-term health outcomes."

MacPherson, founder and current trustee of the Northern College of Acupuncture, and colleagues conducted a randomized, controlled trial of 517 patients with neck pain. Patients were divided into three groups: a control group, an acupuncture group and an Alexander Technique group.

Participants in the control group received usual care, which consisted of medications, physical therapy and other general and neck pain-specific treatments prescribed by a primary care provider. Participants in the acupuncture group received up to 12 50-minute sessions and patients in the Alexander Technique group received up to 20 one-on-one 30-minute lessons. Patients in both intervention groups also received usual care.

Results showed that, from baseline, participants in the acupuncture group reported a 32% overall reduction in Northwick Park Questionnaire (NPQ) scores (12.88 percentage points), participants in the Alexander Technique group reported a 31% overall reduction in NPQ scores (12.24 percentage points), compared with 23% of participants who received usual care only (9.21 percentage points) over 12 months.

Additionally, at the 12-month end point, researchers found that NPQ score reductions were larger in the acupuncture group (3.92 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.97-6.87; P = .009) and the Alexander Technique lesson group (3.79 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.91-6.66; P = .01) when compared with usual care.

MacPherson and colleagues reported that none of the serious adverse events recorded were considered to be definitely or probably related to either interventions.

"Both acupuncture and Alexander Technique lessons are associated with statistically significant and clinically relevant long-term reductions in neck pain and disability at 12 months compared with usual care alone," MacPherson and colleagues concluded. "Enhanced self-efficacy resulting from these interventions might be important in establishing these benefits and sustaining them over the longer term." – by Chelsea Frajerman Pardes

Disclosures: MacPherson is a member of the British Acupuncture Society. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors' relevant financial disclosures.