[escepticos] Acupuntura y dolor de espalda

[sucedaneo]

Sr Hernández escribió:
> Y el placebo en que consistía?? Clavaban agujas en sitios no indicados 
> por los expertos de turno o como creeis que lo hacían?

() Estimada corrala: La revista "Archives of Internal Medicine" ha 
publicado recientemente un estudio sobre el uso de acupuntura en el 
tratamiento del dolor de espalda, parece haber sido financiado por 
empresas aseguradoras alemanas, los resultados hablan de una efectividad 
mayor que el <tratamiento convencional> ¿cómo les suena?, ¿placebo en 
estado puro?

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/17/1892

http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2007a/0924.dtl#1

Un anticipo, breve: "Methods: A patient- and observer-blinded randomized 
controlled trial conducted in Germany involving 340 outpatient 
practices, including 1162 patients aged 18 to 86 years (mean ± SD age, 
50 ± 15 years) with a history of chronic low back pain for a mean of 8 
years. Patients underwent ten 30-minute sessions, generally 2 sessions 
per week, of verum acupuncture (n = 387) according to principles of 
traditional Chinese medicine; sham acupuncture (n = 387) consisting of 
superficial needling at nonacupuncture points; or conventional therapy, 
a combination of drugs, physical therapy, and exercise (n = 388). Five 
additional sessions were offered to patients who had a partial response 
to treatment (10%-50% reduction in pain intensity). Primary outcome was 
response after 6 months, defined as 33% improvement or better on 3 
pain-related items on the Von Korff Chronic Pain Grade Scale 
questionnaire or 12% improvement or better on the back-specific Hanover 
Functional Ability Questionnaire. Patients who were unblinded or had 
recourse to other than permitted concomitant therapies during follow-up 
were classified as nonresponders regardless of symptom improvement."

Saludos
()