SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2025
Neuroimaging evidence for central mechanisms of acupuncture in non-specific low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tai Chi alleviates pain on fusiform-lingual and rolandic operculum-insula circuit in older participants with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled neuroimaging trial.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Trial
- Different Acupuncture Therapies for Postoperative Residual Pain Following PKP/PVP for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures: A Protocol for a Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- From arthritis to central sensitization: targeting the neuro-immune axis via microglial modulation in acupuncture treatment for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated pain.Frontiers in immunology · 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
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a prevalent disorder with significant global health impacts. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed acupuncture's clinical effectiveness for NSLBP and explored its brain mechanisms using fMRI. Methods: A comprehensive search of multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chinese Technical Periodicals Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database) was conducted from inception to July 11th, 2024. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or non-RCTs resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to observe the effect of acupuncture on NSLBP. GingerALE 3.0.2 was used as the meta-analysis tool, and meta-analysis was performed in the Montreal Neurological Institute coordinate space. Results: The review synthesized evidence from ten studies involving 358 participants. Subgroup analyses indicated that acupuncture significantly reduced pain scores compared to sham acupuncture in both acute NSLBP (WMD = -1.04, 95% CI: -1.72 to -0.36, Conclusion: Acupuncture shows significant efficacy for NSLBP, modulating pain processing through the insula and limbic system. While these results suggest therapeutic potential for both acute and chronic NSLBP, higher-quality research is needed to validate these mechanisms. Systematic review registration: Prospero registration number: CRD42022342438, URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022342438.
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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.