The Great Beyond

ACUPUNCTURE IN THE TREATMENT OF (LOW) BACK PAIN

Sir- We agree that the study conducted by Haake et al.(1) that was described in Acupuncture ‘better than medicine’ by Daniel Cressey is indeed an interesting one. In this study, the authors(1) found that after 6 months of acupuncture treatment low back pain was improved. Effectiveness of acupuncture, either verum or sham, was almost twice that of conventional therapy. Their findings are promising and in line with previous studies in which evidence for the use of acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain was found(2). However, it is important to note that not all studies found the same positive findings(3). Therefore, it is too premature to draw any firm conclusions and more scientific studies are definitely needed. Moreover, why should one claim that acupuncture is better than medicine? Why not investigate whether acupuncture can be a useful additional treatment when Western medicine is not successful enough? In addition, acupuncture care for low back pain seems to be cost effective(4). Finally, Haake et al.(1) have used a strict methodology(5), making this a good scientific study and in our point of view this is the way to go…

Peggy Bosch and Maurits van den Noort

1. Haake, M. et al. Archives of Internal Medicine 167(17), 1892-1898 (2007).
2. Thomas, K. J. et al. British Medical Journal 333(7569), 623-626 (2006).
3. Cherkin, D. C. et al. Archives of Internal Medicine 161(8), 1081-1088 (2001).
4. Ratcliffe, J. et al. British Medical Journal 333(7569), 626-628 (2006).
5. Bosch, M. P. C., & Van den Noort, M. W. M. L. Schizophrenia, Sleep, and Acupuncture. Göttingen: Hogrefe & Huber (2008).

In my opinion, this article is really fascinating and useful, although is overlook the existence of Single Patient Based Medicine (SPBM), cited in the web site of EC (http://www.google.it/search?q=cache:U5A-DtWmRDsJ:europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_information/documents/ev_20030710_co01_en.pdf+single+patient+based+medicine+and+stagnaro&hl=it&ie=UTF-8 Pg 36) as well also in PLOS website (1-6). In a few words, “there are thousands suns above the clouds awaiting us” (Indian old proverb). In my view, both traditiona therapy and acupuncture may be usefull ans sometimes be utilized associated to obtain the best diagnostic and therapeutic successes at the bed side, wherein first of all physicans have to know Biophysical Semeiotics (and thus Biophysical-Semeiotic Constitutions and relative inherited Real Risk, pre-metabolic syndrome, and all clinical refined syndromes account for the reason SPBM foundation has been a natural event) (1-8). In every day’s practice, doctors must and can nowadays define precisely the biological situations on whatever single patient by means of such as original physical semeiotics. In other words, healing physicians must and may firstly answer the question: “What kind of patient is this?” (1-5). From biophysical-semeiotic view-point, doctor recognizes promptly and clinically all numerous known constitutions, possibly present in an individual, and then the possible “real risks” of most common and severe human diseases: e.g., absent Oncological Terrain (3, 4), (www.semeioticabiofisica.it) it is useless considering malignancy among other diagnoses. Independently of criticism, more or less constructive, really some times absurd, which derives from crass, a-critical acceptance, due to blinkered doctor’s attitude, we can nowadays evaluate the real beneficial effects of acupuncture with the aid of Biophysical Semeioitc, assessing in well-defined cases what kind of therapy is the better one. In my opinion, however, to reach further and remarkable advantages in clinical decision, therapy, in programming clinical researches, and to avoid useless procedures, due to the ignorance of both biophysical-semeiotics constitutions and syndromes, it is unavoidable utilize usefully “also” SPBM, nowadays an useful reality thanks to Biophysical Semeiotics (5).

References.
1. Stagnaro-Neri M., Stagnaro S. Sindrome di Reaven, classica e variante, in evoluzione diabetica. Il ruolo della Carnitina nella prevenzione del diabete mellito. Il Cuore. 6, 617, 1993 [ MEDLINE]
2. Stagnaro-Neri M, Stagnaro S. Co Q10 in the prevention and treatment of primary osteoporosis. Preliminary data. Clin Ter. 1995 Mar;146(3):215-9 [ MEDLINE]
3. Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M., Le Costituzioni Semeiotico-Biofisiche.Strumento clinico fondamentale per la prevenzione primaria e la definizione della Single Patient Based Medicine. Ediz. Travel Factory, Roma, 2004. http://www.travelfactory.it/semeiotica_biofisica.htm
4. Stagnaro Sergio, Stagnaro-Neri Marina. Introduzione alla Semeiotica Biofisica. Il Terreno oncologico”. Travel Factory SRL., Roma, 2004. . http://www.travelfactory.it/semeiotica_biofisica.htm
5. Stagnaro S., Stagnaro-Neri M., Single Patient Based Medicine.La Medicina Basata sul Singolo Paziente: Nuove Indicazioni della Melatonina. Travel Factory SRL., Roma, 2005. http://www.travelfactory.it/semeiotica_biofisica.htm
6) Stagnaro Sergio. Single Patient Based Medicine: its paramount role in Future Medicine. Public Library of Science.2005 http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=read-response
7) Stagnaro Sergio. Newborn-pathological Endoarteriolar Blocking Devices in Diabetic and Dislipidaemic Constitution and Diabetes Primary Prevention. The Lancet. March 06 2007. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607603316/comments?totalcomments=1
8) Stagnaro Sergio. Role of Coronary Endoarterial Blocking Devices in Myocardial Preconditioning - c007i. Lecture, V Virtual International Congress of Cardiology. http://www.fac.org.ar/qcvc/llave/c007i/stagnaros.php