Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis, Andrew J. Vickers and colleagues' 2018 paper in The Journal of Pain, pools individual patient data from nearly 20,000 participants across 39 trials and finds acupuncture outperforms sham needling for several chronic pain conditions, including back and neck pain, osteoarthritis and migraine, though with small effect sizes. Its strength is that individual patient data meta-analysis is among the most rigorous evidence synthesis methods available, in a peer reviewed pain research journal. Its limit is that the effect sizes it reports are explicitly described as small, so the finding supports a modest clinical effect rather than a large one.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier1
Andrew J. Vickers and colleagues' 2018 individual patient data meta-analysis in The Journal of Pain, the top tier reflecting among the most rigorous evidence synthesis methods available, pooling data from nearly 20,000 participants in a peer reviewed pain research journal. Its limit is that the effect sizes it reports are explicitly described as small, so the finding supports a modest clinical effect rather than a large one. NotesPooled data from nearly 20,000 patients across 39 trials; found acupuncture outperforms sham needling for several chronic pain conditions including back/neck pain, osteoarthritis, and migraine, with small effect sizes.
Citation
AuthorAndrew J. Vickers et al.
PublisherThe Journal of Pain
Publication Year2018
Source Typepeer-reviewed article
Claims Backed By This Source (10 claims)
This source backs 10 claims across the atlas. As facts: 8 well-attested, 1 scholarly debate. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
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- Sources, 7 claims: 7 well-attested.
- Disciplines, 2 claims: 1 scholarly debate, 1 general references.
- Articles, 1 claims: 1 well-attested.
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