ReviewCurrent rheumatology reports2020
Acupuncture and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.
Review in Current rheumatology reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 66 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of laser acupuncture for patients with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- Western medical acupuncture techniques for pain management in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Acupuncture for Chronic Pain Management in Haemophilic Arthropathy: A Systematic Review.Haemophilia : the official journal of the World Federation of Hemophilia · 2025Pooled it
- The efficacy of acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia: an overview of systematic reviews.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Coordinate-based (ALE) meta-analysis of acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Efficacy of Superficial Acupuncture Stimulation with Dynamic Mobilization in Chronic Neck Pain: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2026Trial
- Disseminated Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) Infection After Acupuncture Treatment.Cureus · 2026Article
- Accidental death due to acupuncture-induced multiple organ injuries: fatal improper practices.Forensic science, medicine, and pathology · 2026Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Acupuncture Among Patients with Knee Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2026Article
- Acupuncture-Mediated Neuro-Immune Regulation in Musculoskeletal Pain: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Pain Catastrophizing: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Urethral foreign body insertion for symptom relief: a case report.Journal of medical case reports · 2025Article
- Role of Hypothalamus in Acupuncture's Effects.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Use of acupuncture among chronic disease patients attending primary healthcare facilities: a cross-sectional study in Korea.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2025Article
- Acupuncture Therapy for Extremity Musculoskeletal Pain: A Clinically Focused Evidence Synthesis with Therapeutic Implications.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- Brain TRPV1 channel-mediated calcium influx: the immunomodulatory pathway of acupuncture in neuroinflammation.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Effect of Contralateral Acupuncture (Geoja Technique) in Musculoskeletal Disorders Stratified by Pulse Strength Differences: A Retrospective Study.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Efficacy of Acupuncture in Treating Nape Back Myofascial Pain Syndrome: a Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- Article
- The Applications and Prescriptions of Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Scoping Review of Clinical Controlled Trials.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purpose of reviewChronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) attributable to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain is the most common cause of disability globally, for which no effective remedy exists. Although acupuncture is one of the most popular sensory stimulation therapies and is widely used in numerous pain conditions, its efficacy remains controversial. This review summarizes and expands upon the current research on the therapeutic properties of acupuncture for patients with CMP to better inform clinical decision-making and develop patient-focused treatments. RECENT
findingsWe examined 16 review articles and 11 randomized controlled trials published in the last 5 years on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in adults with CMP conditions. The available evidence suggests that acupuncture does have short-term pain relief benefits for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain and is a safe and reasonable referral option. Acupuncture may also have a beneficial role for fibromyalgia. However, the available evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for treating hip osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of studies concluded the superiority of short-term analgesic effects over various controls and suggested that acupuncture may be efficacious for CMP. These reported benefits should be verified in more high-quality randomized controlled trials.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.