ABC de la acupuntura en reumatología

Acupuncture is a medical procedure and therefore requires a diagnosis, a therapeutic indication and a prognosis. These tasks form part of medical expertise and must be carried out by suitably qualified and accredited health professionals. Recent investigations have started to establish the scientific basis of acupuncture and consequently the mechanisms of action and the local and systemic mediators involved in this modality are beginning to be understood. Published systematic reviews indicate that the main rheumatic diseases the benefit from acupuncture are osteoarthritis, myofascial pain syndrome, epicondylitis, and neck, shoulder and low back pain. From the perspective of evidence-based medicine, the use of acupuncture in the treatment of osteoarthritis and chronic cervical and lumbar pain is efficient in terms of quality-adjusted life years. Accordingly, acupuncture is a strategy that should be considered in excellent healthcare management.