Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35725480›Full record

SynthesisJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2022

Acupuncture in chronic aspecific low back pain: a Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Alice Baroncini, Nicola Maffulli, Jörg Eschweiler, Friedrich Molsberger, Alexandra Klimuch, Filippo Migliorini

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
39citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

39 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy in patients with lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Management of sacroiliac joint pain: current concepts.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    Pooled it
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  5. Impact of education in patients undergoing physiotherapy for lower back pain: a level I systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025
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  18. Active and passive physical therapy in patients with chronic low-back pain: a level I Bayesian network meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Alice BaronciniDepartment of Orthopaedics, Trauma, and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Nicola MaffulliDepartment of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, 84081, Baronissi, SA, Italy.
Jörg EschweilerDepartment of Orthopaedics, Trauma, and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Friedrich MolsbergerAcupuncture Study Group, Grafing, Germany.
Alexandra KlimuchDepartment of Orthopaedics, Trauma, and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
Filippo MiglioriniDepartment of Orthopaedics, Trauma, and Reconstructive Surgery, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074, Aachen, Germany. migliorini.md@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7220-1221
RWTH Aachen University · DEUniversity of Salerno · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis Bayesian network meta-analysis investigated the available randomized control trials (RCTs) to point out which acupuncture protocol is the most effective for chronic aspecific low back pain (LBP). Efficacy was measured in terms of pain (Visual Analogic Scale, VAS) and disability (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, RMQ), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS).

methodsPubMed, Google scholar, Embase, and Scopus were accessed in March 2022. All the RCTs comparing two or more acupuncture modalities for aspecific chronic LBP were accessed. Only studies which investigated the efficacy of acupuncture on patients with symptoms lasting a minimum of 1.5 months, or with at least three episodes in the previous 12 months, were considered eligible. The Review Manager Software (The Nordic Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen) was used for the methodological quality assessment. The STATA Software/MP, Version 14.1 (StataCorporation, College Station, Texas, USA), was used for the statistical analyses. The NMA was performed through the STATA routine for Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model analysis.

resultsData from 44 RCTs (8338 procedures) were retrieved. 56% of patients were women. The mean age of the patients was 48 ± 10.6 years. The mean BMI was 26.3 ± 2.2 kg/m

conclusionVerum acupuncture is more effective than sham treatment for the non-pharmacological management of LBP. Among the verum protocols, individualized acupuncture and standard acupuncture with TENS were the protocols that resulted in the highest improvement in pain and quality of life. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, Bayesian network meta-analysis of RCTs.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyChronic PainLow Back PainTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementAcupunctureIndividualized acupunctureLow back painSham acupunctureVerum acupuncture

Identifiers

PMID35725480
PMCPMC9208133
OpenAlexW4283164378

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.