CLINICAL OUTCOMES AND DURATION OF BENEFIT FOLLOWING ACUPUNCTURE FOR CHRONIC MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN: A RETROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF 60 PATIENTS

G. Guerrieri, P. Krasniqi | Pain Management Service, Department of Anesthesia, Department of Emergency Care, Azienda USL Umbria 2, Narni-Amelia Hospital, 05035 Narni, Italy

Introduction. Acupuncture is widely used for the treatment of chronic pain and various functional disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated clinically meaningful benefits in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions, including low back pain, neck pain, headache, and osteoarthritis (Vickers et al., 2012; DeBar et al., 2025). However, data derived from routine clinical practice describing patient-perceived effectiveness, duration of benefit, and impact on medication use remain limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients treated with acupuncture in a community outpatient setting, with particular attention to pain reduction, global perceived improvement, duration of clinical benefit, and reduction in pharmacological therapy.
Materials and Methods. A retrospective observational study was conducted on all eligible patients who completed a full course of acupuncture treatment between January and December 2025 in a community outpatient clinic. A complete treatment course was defined as 4–10 acupuncture sessions, according to the individual clinical condition and physician assessment. Patients who underwent infiltrative procedures during the observation period were excluded from the analysis. Demographic characteristics, primary diagnosis, number of treatment sessions, pain intensity assessed by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after treatment, medication use, and adverse events were collected from clinical records. Follow-up information, including Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), duration of clinical benefit, and changes in medication use, was obtained through structured telephone interviews conducted by the treating physicians. Patients who did not complete the planned acupuncture treatment cycle were excluded from the analysis.
Results. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 62,1 (13) years, and 75% were female. Primary diagnoses included low back pain (43.3%), neck pain (23.3%), fibromyalgia (13.3%), trigeminal neuralgia (5.0%), headache (3.3%), and other painful conditions (11.7%). Ninety percent (90%) of patients had experienced symptoms for more than 12 months. The mean number of acupuncture sessions was 7.9. Mean NRS score decreased from 8.64 before treatment to 2.98 after treatment, corresponding to a mean reduction of 5.66 points. Fifty-two patients (86.7%) reported a clinically meaningful global improvement (PGIC grades 1–2). Clinical benefit persisted for at least 3 months in 43 patients (71.7%) and for more than 6 months in 24 patients (40.0%). Twenty-eight patients (46.7%) reduced or discontinued pharmacological therapy. Only one mild adverse event was reported (1.7%).
Conclusions. In a real-world outpatient setting, acupuncture was associated with substantial pain reduction, high patient-reported improvement, reduced medication use, and a sustained clinical benefit in the majority of patients, while maintaining an excellent safety profile. Prospective controlled studies are warranted to confirm these findings.