Acupuncture treatment compares favourably to analgesics for the treatment of sciatica, according to a systematic review by a group of American and Korean authors.
Meta-analysis of pooled data from 28 randomised-controlled trials involving 2707 participants showed that the total effective rate of the treatment was significantly higher in the acupuncture group compared with the analgesic group. Visual analogue scale pain scores from seven randomised-controlled trials involving 589 participants showed a significant reduction in the acupuncture group compared with the analgesic group. In five randomised-controlled trials involving 311 participants, pain threshold was found to be significantly elevated in the acupuncture group compared with the analgesic group and adverse effects and relapse rates were lower in the acupuncture group.