An Observational Study on the Costs and Consequences of Acupuncture for the Management of Chronic Low Back Pain in Korean Patients

Abstract

The use of acupuncture to manage CLBP in general clinical practice in Korea inexpensively improved pain, functional disability and quality of life. The study results are meaningful and consistent with the results of previous trials performed in other European countries but the power of the study is not strong, having major design weaknesses. A large-scale cohort or registry based on practice may be helpful to strengthen the evidence of the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture.