Research Week Abstract Book - Northern Health

Chronic Disease Management
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ACUPunCTURE OR Dry NEEDlinG FOR TREATMENT
for PeoPle WITH PHANTom LIMB Pain.
O’Neill P.
CHROnIC DISEASE Management
Background
Phantom limb pain affects up to 80% of all people with limb amputations. 1 Patients seek out a variety of treatments
including acupuncture.2
Aim/ Question
Is needle acupuncture or dry needling an effective treatment for people with phantom limb pain following major limb(s)
amputation?
Methodology
Databases searched (1972-2012): CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, psycINFO, Cochrane Library, Chartered Society of
Physiotherapy Catalogue, PEDro and the Internet. Key words:- phantom limb pain, and acupuncture or dry needling. Included
papers on needle acupuncture or dry needling to treat phantom pain (major limb amputations only). Electro-acupuncture
included if combined with needling techniques. Outcomes were pain measures. Papers were systematically reviewed.
Results
Nine papers all single or multiple case studies of low to moderate levels of quality were identified 2-9 including 21 participants
in total. Seventeen participants had lower limb amputations, three had upper limb amputations and one had quadruple
amputations. Most amputations were trauma or cancer related and two participants had vascular causes. No studies used
dry needling. All used traditional Chinese medicine points, some with a western clinical reasoning model. Six studies used
needles only, three combined this with electro-acupuncture. 5-7 Two participants’ pain did not change however all others
described a reduction or disappearance of phantom limb pain. No study described long term follow-up.
Conclusion
There is insufficient evidence that acupuncture or dry needling is an effective treatment for the treatment of phantom limb
pain following major limb amputation. There is a need for further high level research with long-term evaluation.
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