Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment for chro
nic pain and secondary symptoms after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to ident
ify disease-specific variables associated with response to treatment.
Design: A within-subjects design consisting of a 7 1/2-week no-acupuncture
baseline period followed by a 7 1/2-week treatment period and a follow-up a
ssessment 3 months posttreatment. Setting: Medical rehabilitation research
center.
Participants: Twenty-two people with SCI who experienced moderate to severe
pain of at least 6 months' duration. Intervention: A course of 15 acupunct
ure treatments was administered over a 7 1/2-week period.
Main Outcome Measures: Numeric Rating Scale of pain intensity; ratings of i
nterference with activity, individualized symptom rating, Center for Epidem
iologic Studies-Depression Scale, Speilberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory
, and General Well-Being Schedule.
Results: Ten patients (46%) showed improvement in pain intensity and pain s
equelae after treatment. However, 6 patients (27%) reported an increase in
pain that was still present 3 months after treatment.
Conclusions: About 50% of the study sample reported substantial pain relief
after acupuncture treatment, suggesting that acupuncture may provide pain
relief for at least a subgroup of individuals with SCI. Future research is
needed to determine what part of this effect is because of acupuncture vers
us nonspecific effects such as placebo effects and regression to the mean.
(C) 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Americ
an Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.