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Table 5 Changes in VAS, SF-MPQ, and ODI scores in participants with chronic low back pain who received TEA or acupuncture

From: Efficacy and safety of thread embedding acupuncture for chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Variable

Group

Time, mean(se)

p value

Screeninga)

2 weekb)

4 weekc)

6 weekd)

8 weeke)

10 weekf)

time

group

time × group

VAS

TEA group

6.04 ± 0.29

4.54 ± 0.35

3.97 ± 0.41

3.40 ± 0.44

2.93 ± 0.47

2.34 ± 0.42

< 0.001c (a > b > c,d > e > f)d

0.556

0.749

Acupuncture group

5.91 ± 0.34

4.81 ± 0.37

3.99 ± 0.37

3.89 ± 0.40

3.38 ± 0.38

2.79 ± 0.35

SF-MPQ

 Descriptive scale

TEA group

18.85 ± 1.23

12.55 ± 1.58

11.20 ± 1.45

10.20 ± 1.25

7.60 ± 0.75

7.20 ± 1.02

< 0.001c (a > b,c,d,e,f)d

0.248

0.355

Acupuncture group

19.40 ± 1.65

13.50 ± 1.24

11.30 ± 1.18

11.85 ± 1.28

11.05 ± 1.25

9.80 ± 1.16

 PPI

TEA group

2.65 ± 0.15

1.90 ± 0.14

1.80 ± 0.12

1.55 ± 0.14

1.45 ± 0.11

1.30 ± 0.11

< 0.001c (a > b,c,d,e,f)d

0.242

0.389

Acupuncture group

2.45 ± 0.15

2.10 ± 0.16

2.00 ± 0.19

1.95 ± 0.15

1.65 ± 0.15

1.50 ± 0.14

ODI

TEA group

35.20 ± 1.93

29.09 ± 2.19

24.14 ± 1.88

23.84 ± 1.80

20.54 ± 1.57

18.56 ± 1.51

< 0.001c (a > b > c,d,e,f)d

0.004b

0.038a (a,b,c,d > e,f)d

Acupuncture group

41.56 ± 2.88

35.17 ± 2.64

31.70 ± 2.79

31.09 ± 2.52

32.15 ± 2.72

29.80 ± 2.09

  1. Values are expressed as means ± standard deviations
  2. TEA thread-embedding acupuncture, VAS visual analog scale, SF-MPQ short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire, PPI Present Pain Intensity scale, ODI Oswestry Disability Index
  3. ap < 0.05, bp < 0.01, cp < 0.001: statistically significant difference according to repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA)
  4. dp < 0.05: statistically significant difference according to multiple comparisons by contrast analysis with Bonferroni’s correction