Patients with low-back pain (LBP) are less likely to visit physicians for LBP after receiving acupuncture treatment, leading to reduced healthcare spending on LBP. In a case control study carried out in Canada, 201 cases in which LBP was treated with acupuncture were compared with 804 controls. Each acupuncture group case was matched with four comparison cases from the general population with LBP, based on gender and age. The number of physician visits for the one-year period post-acupuncture decreased 49% for the acupuncture group, compared with the one-year period pre-acupuncture. In the comparison group, there was a decrease of 2% in physician visits for the same time periods. The of cost LBP-related physician services showed corresponding decreases, declining by 37% for the acupuncture group and 1% for the comparison group. (Reduced health resource use after acupuncture for low-back pain. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Nov;17(11):1015-9).
Categories: Basic acupuncture research, Back
