London, Aug 20: Contrary to popular belief, where massage was considered more effective than acupuncture, recent studies show that even though the latter offers short-term relief, it indeed reduces chronic neck pain, where as the benefits of massage are still unclear.

Two new systematic reviews were carried out as part of a series designed to summarize the most current scientific evidence on treatments for neck pain due to “mechanical” problems such as whiplash and muscle strains. Such injuries are common, disabling and costly.

According to lead study author Kien Trinh, M.D., of McMaster University in Canada of the acupuncture review, it does not “cure” neck pain, and relief appears to last only a few weeks or months. Patients may thus need periodic booster treatments.

While the massage review concludes, “Due to the limitations of existing studies, we are unable to make any firm statement to guide clinical practice.” Bodhi Haraldsson, a registered massage therapist in British Columbia, Canada, led the study team.

Ten percent of males and 17 percent of females report neck pain that lasts longer than six months, according to a study cited in the massage review. Both new reviews excluded patients with neck pain caused by major illnesses or injuries such as viral infections or fractures.

The acupuncture study comprised 10 trials with a total of 661 adult participants. The studies compared a number of acupuncture approaches to no treatment, sham treatments or other “manual therapies” such as mobilization, massage or traction. Most of the studies included at least five treatment sessions.

“The specific effects of acupuncture are short-term, but have important clinical treatment benefits,” concluded the review authors.

The review of massage techniques comprised 19 trials involving nearly 1,400 adults. The trials compared massage alone or in combination with other treatments to no treatment, sham treatments, mobilization, traction, acupuncture, exercise, education and pain medication. vThe authors report that the overall quality of these trials was poor. “In some cases, it was questionable whether the massage in the study would be considered effective massage under any circumstance.” No firm conclusions can be drawn at this time, they conclude.

“One of the most important functions of the Cochrane Library is to demonstrate what we do not know,” according to Bandolier, an independent British journal focusing on evidence-based healthcare.

“Good quality reviews that find no trials, no good trials or good trials with no effect are really important in delimiting the extent of our knowledge (or ignorance),” he added.

The reviews appear in the most recent issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.(ANI)