Reporting Quality of English Randomized Controlled Trials on Acupuncture for Neck Disorders by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA_Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Authors：

 CHUTen-Wah Tanya ¹ ,  GUOYuan-qi ² , TomlinsonBrian ¹ , CHENLi-Yi ²

1. Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 852852, China;
2. School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 852852, China;

Corresponding author：

GUOYuan-qi, Email: cuguoyq@yahoo.com.hk

Keywords：

Neck disorder; Acupuncture; Reporting quality; CONSORT; STRICTA

DOI：

10.7507/1672-2531.20140019

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Objective To evaluate the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for neck disorder. Methods Three databases including CENTRAL (Issue 3, 2010), MEDLINE and EMbase from January 2006 to December 2010 were searched electronically, and only English articles were included. A manual search for further references was conducted from those references initially identified. We identified 14 RCTs that used acupuncture as an intervention and assessed the quality of these reports against the Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) statement and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA). Results Finally 14 RCTs were included. Regarding the CONSORT statement, 9 (64.3%) RCTs described the baseline demographic and clinical characteristics in each group. Only 7 (50.0%) studies mentioned how the random sequence was generated. Only 6 (42.9%) RCTs had adequate allocation concealment, with 4 RCTs which described the concealment in detail. Only 8 (57.1%) RCTs used blinding, including 2 described as double-blind. Only two (14.3%) RCTs reported how the sample size was calculated. Corresponding to the items in STRICTA, 5 (35.7%) RCTs reported the numbers of needles inserted. The others just indicated the acu-points. The needle type, model and the thickness of needles were reported in 12 (85.7%) RCTs, but only 4 (28.6%) mentioned the depths of insertion. There were only 4 RCTs (28.6%) that reported the background of the acupuncture practitioners and the duration of their training. Conclusion The RCTs of acupuncture for neck disorder meeting the criteria for the CONSORT statement and STRICTA still have room for improvement. Promoting the use of the CONSORT statement and STRICTA should help to improve the reporting quality of acupuncture related research, and hence to elucidate the scientific understanding of acupuncture.

Citation： CHUTen-Wah Tanya, GUOYuan-qi, TomlinsonBrian, CHENLi-Yi. Reporting Quality of English Randomized Controlled Trials on Acupuncture for Neck Disorders by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2014, 14(1): 115-119. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.20140019 Copy

1.	Bogduk N. The clinical anatomy of the cervical dorsal rami. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 1982, 7(4):319-330.
2.	Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Hirota S, et al. Randomised trial of trigger point acupuncture compared with other acupuncture fortreatment of chronic neck pain. Complement Ther Med, 2007, 15(3):172-179.
3.	Bovim G, Schrader H, Sand T. Neck pain in the general population. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 1994, 19(12):1307-1309.
4.	Bostrom M, Dellve L, Thomee S, et al. Risk factors for generally reduced productivity--a prospective cohort study of young adults with neck or upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms. Scand J Work Environ Health, 2008, 34(2):120-132.
5.	Carroll LJ, Hogg-Johnson S, Van der Velde G, et al. Course and prognostic factors for neck pain in the general population:results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2008, 33(4 Suppl):S75-82.
6.	Witt C, Jena S, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain. Pain, 2006, 125(1-2):98-106.
7.	Willich SN, Reinhold T, Selim D, et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Pain, 2006, 125(1-2):107-113.
8.	The CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 Statement. Available from:http://www.consort-statement.org/.
9.	Gagnier J, Boon H, Rochon P, et al. Standards for reporting interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture:The STRICTA recommendations. Complement Ther Med, 2001, 9 (4):246-249.
10.	Salter GC, Roman M, Bland MJ, et al. Acupuncture for chronic neck pain:a pilot for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 2006, 7:99.
11.	Vas J, Perea-Milla E, Méndez C, et al. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic uncomplicated neck pain:a randomised controlled study. Pain, 2006, 15(1-3):245-255.
12.	Ga H, Choi J, Park C, et al. Acupuncture needling versus lidocaine injection of trigger points in myofascial pain syndrome in elderly patients--a randomised trial. Acupunct Med, 2007, 25(4):130-136.
13.	Ga H, Choi J, Park C, et al. Dry needling of trigger points with and without paraspinal needling in myofascial pain syndromes in elderly patients. J Altern Complement Med, 2007, 13(6):617-624.
14.	Wang C, Xiong Z, Deng C, et al. Miniscalpel-needle versus triggerpoint injection for cervical myofascial pain syndrome:a randomized comparative trial. J Altern Complement Med, 2007, 13(1):14-16.
15.	França D, Senna-Fernandes V, Cortez C, et al. Tension neck syndrome treated by acupuncture combined with physiotherapy:a comparative clinical trial (pilot study). Complement Ther Med, 2008, 16(5):268-277.
16.	Abernethy A. Randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for chronic neck pain. J Pain Palliative Care Pharmacother, 2008, 22 (2):145.
17.	Chan D, Johnson M, Sun K, et al. Electrical acustimulation of the wrist for chronic neck pain:a randomized, sham-controlled trial using a wrist-ankle acustimulation device. Clin J Pain, 2009, 25(4):320-326.
18.	Ceccherelli F, Gioioso L, Casale R, et al. Neck pain treatment with acupuncture:does the number of needles matter? Clin J Pain, 2010, 26(9):807-812.
19.	Sun M, Hsieh C, Cheng Y, et al. The therapeutic effects of acupuncture on patients with chronic neck myofascial pain syndrome:a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Am J Chin Med, 2010, 38(5):849-859.
20.	Sahin N, Ozcan E, Sezen K, et al. Efficacy of acupunture in patients with chronic neck pain--a randomised, sham controlled trial. Acupunct Electrother Res, 2010, 35(1-2):17-27.
21.	Ma C, Wu S, Li G, et al. Comparison of miniscalpel-needle release, acupuncture needling, and stretching exercise to trigger point in myofascial pain syndrome. Clin J Pain, 2010, 26(3):251-257.
22.	张小利, 李静, 张鸣明, 等.采用CONSORT和STRICTA评价针刺治疗急性缺血性脑卒中随机对照试验报告质量.中国循证医学杂志, 2006, 6(8):586-590.
23.	刘华.加强中医临床研究质量控制的几个环节.中国现代实用医学杂志, 2007, 6(10):88-89.
24.	Bennett J. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Guidelines for Reporting Randomized Trials. Nurs Res, 2005, 54(2):128.

1. Bogduk N. The clinical anatomy of the cervical dorsal rami. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 1982, 7(4):319-330.
2. Itoh K, Katsumi Y, Hirota S, et al. Randomised trial of trigger point acupuncture compared with other acupuncture fortreatment of chronic neck pain. Complement Ther Med, 2007, 15(3):172-179.
3. Bovim G, Schrader H, Sand T. Neck pain in the general population. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 1994, 19(12):1307-1309.
4. Bostrom M, Dellve L, Thomee S, et al. Risk factors for generally reduced productivity--a prospective cohort study of young adults with neck or upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms. Scand J Work Environ Health, 2008, 34(2):120-132.
5. Carroll LJ, Hogg-Johnson S, Van der Velde G, et al. Course and prognostic factors for neck pain in the general population:results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Spine (Phila Pa 1976), 2008, 33(4 Suppl):S75-82.
6. Witt C, Jena S, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain. Pain, 2006, 125(1-2):98-106.
7. Willich SN, Reinhold T, Selim D, et al. Cost-effectiveness of acupuncture treatment in patients with chronic neck pain. Pain, 2006, 125(1-2):107-113.
8. The CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 Statement. Available from:http://www.consort-statement.org/.
9. Gagnier J, Boon H, Rochon P, et al. Standards for reporting interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture:The STRICTA recommendations. Complement Ther Med, 2001, 9 (4):246-249.
10. Salter GC, Roman M, Bland MJ, et al. Acupuncture for chronic neck pain:a pilot for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 2006, 7:99.
11. Vas J, Perea-Milla E, Méndez C, et al. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic uncomplicated neck pain:a randomised controlled study. Pain, 2006, 15(1-3):245-255.
12. Ga H, Choi J, Park C, et al. Acupuncture needling versus lidocaine injection of trigger points in myofascial pain syndrome in elderly patients--a randomised trial. Acupunct Med, 2007, 25(4):130-136.
13. Ga H, Choi J, Park C, et al. Dry needling of trigger points with and without paraspinal needling in myofascial pain syndromes in elderly patients. J Altern Complement Med, 2007, 13(6):617-624.
14. Wang C, Xiong Z, Deng C, et al. Miniscalpel-needle versus triggerpoint injection for cervical myofascial pain syndrome:a randomized comparative trial. J Altern Complement Med, 2007, 13(1):14-16.
15. França D, Senna-Fernandes V, Cortez C, et al. Tension neck syndrome treated by acupuncture combined with physiotherapy:a comparative clinical trial (pilot study). Complement Ther Med, 2008, 16(5):268-277.
16. Abernethy A. Randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for chronic neck pain. J Pain Palliative Care Pharmacother, 2008, 22 (2):145.
17. Chan D, Johnson M, Sun K, et al. Electrical acustimulation of the wrist for chronic neck pain:a randomized, sham-controlled trial using a wrist-ankle acustimulation device. Clin J Pain, 2009, 25(4):320-326.
18. Ceccherelli F, Gioioso L, Casale R, et al. Neck pain treatment with acupuncture:does the number of needles matter? Clin J Pain, 2010, 26(9):807-812.
19. Sun M, Hsieh C, Cheng Y, et al. The therapeutic effects of acupuncture on patients with chronic neck myofascial pain syndrome:a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Am J Chin Med, 2010, 38(5):849-859.
20. Sahin N, Ozcan E, Sezen K, et al. Efficacy of acupunture in patients with chronic neck pain--a randomised, sham controlled trial. Acupunct Electrother Res, 2010, 35(1-2):17-27.
21. Ma C, Wu S, Li G, et al. Comparison of miniscalpel-needle release, acupuncture needling, and stretching exercise to trigger point in myofascial pain syndrome. Clin J Pain, 2010, 26(3):251-257.
22. 张小利, 李静, 张鸣明, 等.采用CONSORT和STRICTA评价针刺治疗急性缺血性脑卒中随机对照试验报告质量.中国循证医学杂志, 2006, 6(8):586-590.
23. 刘华.加强中医临床研究质量控制的几个环节.中国现代实用医学杂志, 2007, 6(10):88-89.
24. Bennett J. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Guidelines for Reporting Randomized Trials. Nurs Res, 2005, 54(2):128.

Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Reporting Quality of English Randomized Controlled Trials on Acupuncture for Neck Disorders by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA

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