EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE IN REDUCING LOW BACK PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: acupuncture has excelled in scientific circles for generating pain relief, being used as adjunct treatment of chronic low back pain and it is considered an effective and safe method in the absence of adverse effects. Objective: identify the effects of acupuncture in reducing chronic low back pain. Methods: a systematic review was conducted to identify studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture in patients with chronic low back pain. One search logic was applied on PubMed, SciELO and ScienceDirect database: that is, to select the articles, two researchers independently analyzed the inclusion and exclusion criteria, being them then further analyzed by two other reviewers. Results: the findings show that acupuncture is very effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain for pain reducing, and that it can be applied together with other conventional interventions without harming the patient’s health. Conclusion: acupuncture may help to reduce the pain, providing a better life for patients suffering from this disease.