The focus for this year’s World PT Day is low back pain, and the role of physiotherapy in its management.
- Carretta, L. T. A., Teixeira, P. R., Dias, A. C. P., Devens, C. M., Rones, L. N., Bonacossa, C. K., & Barbosa, C. N. B. (2024). Efficacy of Acupuncture in Chronic Low Back Pain Treatment: A Literature Review. Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research, 25(2), 10-16.
- Giovanardi, C. M., Gonzalez-Lorenzo, M., Poini, A., Marchi, E., Culcasi, A., Ursini, F., Faldini, C., Di Martino, A., Mazzanti, U., Campesato, E., Matrà, A., Cevoli, S., & Benedetti, M. G. (2023). Acupuncture as an alternative or in addition to conventional treatment for chronic non-specific low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Integrative Medicine Research, 12(3), 100972. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10448023/pdf/main.pdf
- Kim, G., Kim, D., Moon, H., Yoon, D.-E., Lee, S., Ko, S.-J., Kim, B., Chae, Y., & Lee, I.-S. (2022, 2023/01/01). Acupuncture and Acupoints for Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 51(02), 223-247. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0192415X23500131
- Hong, L., Li, Y.-P., Hou, M.-J., Huang, W.-J., Chen, X.,-L., Gao, Z. & Jiang, Z. (2023). Effect of trigger point acupuncture on pain and functional activity in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: a randomised controlled trial. Acupuncture in Medicine, 41(3), 130-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284221107685 2023.
- Mao, X., He, H., & Ding, J. (2024). Efficacy of Laser Acupuncture for Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Pain Management Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2024.05.001
- (2023) WHO guideline for non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain in adults in primary and community care settings
Note: regarding the WHO guideline, view page 64 of the pdf (page 34 of the document) to read evidence recommendations for low back pain, and page 91 of the pdf (page 61 of the document), where evidence for needling therapies (traditional Chinese acupuncture, myofascial trigger point needling, Western medical acupuncture, and other related therapies (acupressure, moxa, cupping etc.) is presented.
On the same page (page 64 of the pdf), view the following recommendation: Needling therapies such as acupuncture may be offered as part of care to adults, including older people, with CPLBP (conditional recommendation in favour of use, low certainty evidence).
Please note that the same recommendation was made by the WHO for spinal manipulative therapy and structured exercise therapy.
However, IAAPT recommends that any acupuncture intervention provided by a physiotherapist should not be a stand-alone intervention, but always include education, structured exercise therapy and other relevant therapies.