Acupuncture for Whiplash-associated disorder: A randomized, waiting-list controlled, pilot trial

IntroductionWhiplash-associated disorder (WAD) is a general after-effect of motor vehicle collisions or sporting accidents. Acupuncture is a common intervention for pain conditions such as musculoskeletal disease. We conducted a pilot trial to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for patients with WAD.MethodologyForty participants were randomly allocated to an acupuncture group or a waiting-list group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment three times per week for 2 weeks.Symptoms were evaluated before random allocation and after 2 weeks. The primary outcome measure was pain intensity. Secondary outcome measures were the SF-36, cervical range of motion (ROM), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Cornell Medical Index (CMI).ResultsThe results demonstrated that the change in visual analogue scale (VAS) in the acupuncture group was −1.85 [−2.67 to −1.02], compared to −0.40 in the waiting-list group [95% CI: −1.18 to 0.38] (p = 0.001). VAS significantly improved from 4.59 [3.67-5.48] at baseline to 2.74 [2.08-3.37] at the endpoint (p < 0.001) in the acupuncture group. No significant changes in secondary outcomes such as SF-36, Cervical ROM, SDS and CMI within either group were observed, and the scores from baseline revealed no significant differences between the groups. There were no reports of serious adverse events related to acupuncture treatment.ConclusionsAcupuncture treatment was associated with a significant alleviation of pain. This pilot study provided preliminary data on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for WAD. A full-scale randomized controlled trial is required to provide firm evidence of the effectiveness of this intervention.