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The Programme for the Evaluation of Patient Care with Acupuncture (Pep-Ac) – a Project Sponsored by Ten German Social Health Insurance Funds

The Programme for the Evaluation of Patient Care with Acupuncture (Pep-Ac) – a Project Sponsored... ObjectiveThe aim of the Programme for the Evaluation of Patient care with Acupuncture (PEP-Ac) was to investigate the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with the following three indications: chronic headache, chronic low back pain and chronic osteoarthritic pain. This article provides an overview of the results of the whole programme.MethodsThe programme included five randomised trials, a large observational study, a survey of physicians providing acupuncture, and three systematic reviews.ResultsThe results show that, for all three indications, acupuncture, when compared to no treatment, produces a clear benefit that lasts for at least several months. However the effects of point-specific acupuncture only offered a significant advantage over minimal acupuncture in the treatment of OA knee.ConclusionsThe evidence from these trials – on the one hand, a clear overall effect of acupuncture and on the other hand, the lack of evidence supporting its superiority over sham acupuncture for all indications except osteoarthritis of the knee – leaves a considerable amount of room for interpretation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Acupuncture in Medicine SAGE

The Programme for the Evaluation of Patient Care with Acupuncture (Pep-Ac) – a Project Sponsored by Ten German Social Health Insurance Funds

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References (28)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 2006 British Medical Acupuncutre Society
ISSN
0964-5284
eISSN
1759-9873
DOI
10.1136/aim.24.Suppl.25
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aim of the Programme for the Evaluation of Patient care with Acupuncture (PEP-Ac) was to investigate the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with the following three indications: chronic headache, chronic low back pain and chronic osteoarthritic pain. This article provides an overview of the results of the whole programme.MethodsThe programme included five randomised trials, a large observational study, a survey of physicians providing acupuncture, and three systematic reviews.ResultsThe results show that, for all three indications, acupuncture, when compared to no treatment, produces a clear benefit that lasts for at least several months. However the effects of point-specific acupuncture only offered a significant advantage over minimal acupuncture in the treatment of OA knee.ConclusionsThe evidence from these trials – on the one hand, a clear overall effect of acupuncture and on the other hand, the lack of evidence supporting its superiority over sham acupuncture for all indications except osteoarthritis of the knee – leaves a considerable amount of room for interpretation.

Journal

Acupuncture in MedicineSAGE

Published: Dec 1, 2006

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