Researchers from the University of Melbourne in Australia review the results of 3 studies.

First, the details.

• 2 small studies of mixed pelvic/back pain and 1 large high-quality study on pelvic pain were reviewed.
• In each study, treatment options included usual care (A) plus the acupuncture treatment (B) or usual care (A) alone — A + B vs A.

And, the results.

• Acupuncture in addition to standard treatment was superior to standard treatment alone and physiotherapy in relieving mixed pelvic/back pain.
• Women with well-defined pelvic pain had greater relief of pain with a combination of acupuncture and standard treatment, compared to standard treatment alone or stabilizing exercises and standard treatment.
• Few and minor adverse events were reported.

The bottom line?
The authors conclude, “Limited evidence supports acupuncture use in treating pregnancy-related pelvic and back pain.”

But the results are clouded by the study design (A + B vs A), which may predispose to erroneous positive findings with acupuncture. More on this is here.

8/25/08 20:59 JR