Table 1.
Brief Study Descriptions
| Study number (reference) | CAM modalities | Description of study | Wording of questions on first post-treatment assessment | Results of first post-treatment assessmenta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study16 | Acupuncture | A randomized controlled trial comparing individualized acupuncture (n = 157), standardized acupuncture (n = 158), and simulated acupuncture (n = 162) with a control group receiving usual care (n = 161). All participants received a self-care book | Have you changed the way you think about your back pain as a result of having received acupuncture? (If yes, please explain how the way you think about back pain has changed) Have you changed anything you do as a result of having received acupuncture? (If yes, please explain what you have changed) Is there anything else you would like to tell us? (If yes, please explain) | Statistically significant difference in function among the four groups and between usual care and each acupuncture group at 8 weeks No significant pairwise differences in function among acupuncture groups |
| Study 211 | Yoga | A randomized controlled trial comparing yoga (n = 36) with conventional exercise classes (n = 35) and a self-care book (n = 30) | What effect, if any, has yoga had on you? For example, this might include your thoughts, feelings, reactions, or activities. | At 12 weeks, back-related function in yoga group superior to that in book and exercise groups |
| Study 317 | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), t'ai chi, massage | A randomized pilot trial comparing mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR, n = 22), t'ai chi (n = 22) and massage (n = 23) with a control group receiving usual care and a self-care book (n = 23) | What effect, if any, has [t'ai chi training/stress reduction training/massage] had on you? For example, this might include your thoughts, feelings, reactions, or activities. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? (Specify.) | At 12-week follow-up, participants in massage and MBSR groups improved by 2 points more on Roland scale than those in t'ai chi and book groups; however, differences among treatment groups at baseline made comparisons difficult |
| Study 418 | Massage, acupuncture, chiropractic | A randomized pilot trial comparing massage (n = 28), acupuncture (n = 26) and chiropractic (n = 27) with a control group receiving usual care and a self-care book (n = 27) | What effect, if any, has [massage/acupuncture/chiropractic] had on you? For example, this might include your thoughts, feelings, reactions, or activities. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? (Specify.) | No clear differences among the groups |
| Study 5 | Massage | A randomized controlled trial comparing relaxation massage (n = 136) and focused structural massage (n = 132) with a control group receiving usual care (n = 133) | Overall, what effect, if any, has massage had on you? For example, this might include your thoughts, feelings, reactions, or activities. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? | Currently under analysis |
CAM, complementary and alternative medicine.