151:
28:
200:
The RCTs were designed as three-armed trials, with the three parallel groups in each trial receiving either verum (real) acupuncture treatment, sham acupuncture treatment, or guideline-based conventional treatment. The number of patients randomized was one of the largest ever for acupuncture trials.
226:
commented on the news surrounding the study and said that "this trial seems to support the role of acupuncture as an effective alternative therapy for chronic lower back pain" but that "it will be important to try to tease apart the real treatment effects from those that occur through the placebo
266:
In 2012, health insurers reported that after the committee's decision to incorporate acupuncture into the healthcare of
Germany was passed into law, the number of users of acupuncture in the country had increased by about 20%, finding favour especially among women; in 2012 there were around one
704:
Zusammenfassender
Bericht des Unterausschusses 'Ärztliche Behandlung' des Gemeinsamen Bundesausschusses über die Bewertung gemäß §135 Abs.1 SGB V der Körperakupunktur mit Nadeln ohne elektrische Stimulation bei chronischen Kopfschmerzen, chronischen LWS-Schmerzen, chronischen Schmerzen bei
125:
In the late 1990s, German healthcare regulators began to voice their doubts over the therapeutical usage of acupuncture, mostly because of the lack of reliable evidence regarding its therapeutic efficacy. This resulted in a heated debate, which led to Paul
Rheinberger, Director of the
710:
Summary report of the subcommittee 'Medical treatment' of the
Federal Joint Committee on the assessment pursuant to § 135 SGB V, Section 1 of the body acupuncture with needles without electrical stimulation for chronic headache, chronic lumbar pain, chronic pain associated with
133:
In
October 2000, the Federal Committee of Physicians and Health Insurers decided that acupunctural treatment may not be reimbursed by statutory health insurance companies except within the framework of experimental field studies. In 2001 the GERAC were set up at
222:, noted that the studies had attracted criticism for not taking into account the risk of patient de-blinding, and that they " to conclusively answer the question whether acupuncture helps patients through a specific or a nonspecific effect". In September 2007,
808:
Scharf, Hanns-Peter; Mansmann, Ulrich; Streitberger, Konrad; Witte, Steffen; Krämer, Jürgen; Maier, Christoph; Trampisch, Hans-Joachim; Victor, Norbert (2006). "Acupuncture and knee osteoarthritis: a three-armed randomized trial".
954:
201:
For each indication, around 1000 test subjects were included. The trials were conducted using sham acupuncture. No significant differences between acupuncture and sham acupuncture were found in any trial.
301:
reported that the study "highlights the superiority of acupuncture", but also introduces uncertainty about the specific mechanisms of treatment. Heinz Endres, one of the authors of the study, told the
932:
853:
98:
in
Germany, though no coverage was offered for headache or migraine. However, because of the outcome of these trials, in the case of the other conditions,
113:, the total cost of the trials amounted to 7.5 million Euros. Several years after the committee's decision to incorporate acupunctural treatment into the
1040:
344:
993:
574:
130:, saying: "The higher the quality of clinical studies performed on acupuncture, the lesser the amount of evidence supporting its efficacy."
936:
55:
because of a dispute as to the usefulness of acupuncture. They consisted of one observational study on acupuncture side effects, and four
206:
507:
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1044:
612:
443:
302:
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127:
83:
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Referencing this study: "Verum (or true) acupuncture and sham acupuncture treatments are no different in decreasing pain levels."
1014:
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that "acupuncture has not yet been recommended as a routine therapy", but "we think this will change with our study". The
975:
906:
56:
315:, which found a short course of acupuncture could benefit patients with low back pain". Nigel Hawkes, health editor of
252:
95:
366:
Wenzel, K.-W (2005). "Akupunktur: Was zeigen die gerac-Studien?" [Acupuncture: What of the GERAC studies?].
553:
279:, the GERAC trials were considered to be the world's largest set of clinical studies on acupuncture. An article in
663:
Suess, Jochen; Scharl, Anton (2004). "Lässt sich die
Wirksamkeit der Akupunktur naturwissenschaftlich erklären?".
1127:
275:
The trials resulted in increased coverage of acupuncture in the German media. According to the news broadcaster
1152:
1147:
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confirmed the decision. However, because of the outcome of these trials, in the case of the other conditions,
748:
637:
321:, wrote that the trials "suggest that both acupuncture and sham acupuncture act as powerful versions of the
339:
174:
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135:
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in
Germany were not convinced that acupuncture had adequate benefits over usual care or sham treatments.
499:
334:
248:
190:
166:
162:
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72:
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251:, determined that acupuncture for the treatment of low back pain and knee pain would be reimbursed by
117:
was passed into law, the number of regular users of acupuncture in the country surpassed one million.
1137:
219:
557:
214:) published an article which criticized the trials for "not meeting scientific criteria". In 2006,
182:
170:
110:
75:. The trials are considered to be one of the largest clinical studies in the field of acupuncture.
742:
Endres, Heinz G.; Diener, Hans-Christoph; Maier, Christoph; Böwing, Gabriele; et al. (2007).
834:
255:
but coverage was not offered for headache or migraine. In July 2006, the German Health
Minister
532:
106:. No significant differences between acupuncture and sham acupuncture were found in any trial.
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effect". Highlighting the results of the placebo group, researchers refused to accept a
102:
in
Germany were not convinced that acupuncture had adequate benefits over usual care or
528:
322:
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103:
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stated that the study "echoes the findings of two studies published last year in the
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60:
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437:"Tragende GrĂĽnde zum Beschluss des Gemeinsamen Bundesau sschusses zur Akupunktur"
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223:
48:
1041:"Acupuncture more effective than conventional treatments for back pain: Study"
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260:
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99:
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27:
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830:
794:
387:
743:
676:
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TJ Hinrichs; Linda L. Barnes (2013). TJ Hinrichs; Linda L. Barnes (eds.).
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998:
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232:
186:
68:
86:
ruled in April 2006 that the costs of acupuncture treatment for chronic
955:
Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften
228:
604:
Trick Or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine
149:
51:
trials set up in 2001 and published in 2006 on behalf of several
291:
said that the results of GERAC couldn't be brushed aside by the
1085:"Sticking needles in a bad back 'eases pain better than drugs'"
607:(1st American ed.). New York: W.W. Norton. pp. 81–2.
1062:
311:
306:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
994:"Studie belegt: Akupunktur hilft bei chronischen Schmerzen"
933:"Akupunktur wird Leistung der gesetzlichen Krankenkassen"
951:"Akupunktur bei Migräne - nicht besser als ein Placebo?"
1112:
871:
Ernst, E. (2006). "Acupuncture - a critical analysis".
569:
567:
285:
said that the results of the studies were "promising".
577:[Women treated more often with acupuncture].
464:
Chinese Medicine and Healing: An Illustrated History
407:
405:
403:
401:
399:
397:
243:As a result of the GERAC trials, in April 2006 the
128:
Federal Committee of Physicians and Health Insurers
489:
487:
161:Beginning in 2001, the trials were carried out by
494:Stuart B. Porter (2013). Stuart B. Porter (ed.).
218:, a professor of complementary medicine at the
140:German statutory health insurance organizations
59:(RCTs) investigating acupuncture treatment for
31:Needles being inserted into a patient's forearm
193:. Apart from that, an observational study on
8:
746:[Acupuncture for chronic headache].
249:health care reimbursement policy for Germany
53:German statutory health insurance companies
1015:"Fake or not, acupuncture helps back pain"
744:"Akupunktur bei chronischen Kopfschmerzen"
701:Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (2007-09-27).
575:"Frauen häufiger mit Akupunktur behandelt"
457:
455:
453:
784:
523:
521:
519:
26:
823:10.7326/0003-4819-145-1-200607040-00005
630:"Bundesausschuss: Streit um Akupunktur"
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345:Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study
737:
735:
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361:
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431:
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7:
937:Federal Ministry of Health (Germany)
601:Singh, Simon; Ernst, Edzard (2008).
412:Hackenbroch, Veronika (2004-10-25).
368:Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift
207:Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift
1059:"Needles 'are best for back pain'"
138:as a field study on behalf of six
25:
1045:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
767:Pyne, D.; Shenker, N. G. (2008).
444:Federal Joint Committee (Germany)
416:[The Imaginary Healing].
303:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
907:"Acupuncture may ease back pain"
885:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2005.01584.x
974:Vorsatz, William (2007-11-13).
1013:Williams, Carla (2007-09-24).
245:German Federal Joint Committee
84:German Federal Joint Committee
47:) were a series of nationwide
1:
854:"Die Gerac-Akupunkturstudien"
1083:Hawkes, Nigel (2007-09-25).
873:Journal of Internal Medicine
57:randomized controlled trials
811:Annals of Internal Medicine
786:10.1093/rheumatology/ken161
717:(in German). pp. 1–527
1169:
769:"Demystifying acupuncture"
533:"Acupuncture Doesn't Work"
414:"Die eingebildete Heilung"
756:(3): A-114, B-105, C-101.
628:Korzilius, Heike (2000).
267:million estimated users.
197:of acupuncture was done.
37:German acupuncture trials
18:German Acupuncture Trials
1002:(in German). 2007-01-17.
1143:German medical research
976:"Bestechendes Argument"
583:(in German). 2012-08-30
556:[Acupuncture].
312:British Medical Journal
293:Federal Joint Committee
253:public health insurance
537:Science-Based Medicine
340:Heart Protection Study
261:insurance corporations
175:Ruhr University Bochum
158:
156:Ruhr University Bochum
100:insurance corporations
96:public health insurers
44:
32:
677:10.1055/s-2004-860883
500:Churchill Livingstone
380:10.1055/s-2005-870855
335:British Doctors Study
239:Domestic consequences
212:German Medical Weekly
191:tension-type headache
167:University of Marburg
163:Heidelberg University
153:
115:healthcare of Germany
73:tension-type headache
30:
749:Deutsches Ă„rzteblatt
638:Deutsches Ă„rzteblatt
496:Tidy's Physiotherapy
220:University of Exeter
146:Overview and results
94:would be covered by
852:Hessel, W. (2005).
558:Schweizer Fernsehen
183:knee osteoarthritis
171:University of Mainz
111:Schweizer Fernsehen
78:As a result of the
159:
33:
531:(June 19, 2013).
189:prophylaxis, and
136:Bochum University
71:prophylaxis, and
16:(Redirected from
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1128:2000s in Germany
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502:. p. 408.
498:(15 ed.).
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705:Osteoarthritis
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645:(30): A-2013–4
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509:978-0702043444
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477:978-0674047372
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466:(1 ed.).
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65:osteoarthritis
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468:Belknap Press
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109:According to
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1094:. Retrieved
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1067:. Retrieved
1065:. 2007-09-25
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1024:. Retrieved
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958:. Retrieved
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915:. Retrieved
913:. 2007-09-26
901:
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817:(1): 12–20.
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773:Rheumatology
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719:. Retrieved
709:
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671:(4): 214–7.
668:
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647:. Retrieved
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585:. Retrieved
578:
554:"Akupunktur"
548:
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463:
422:(in German).
417:
374:(24): 1520.
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257:Ulla Schmidt
242:
216:Edzard Ernst
211:
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82:trials, the
79:
77:
36:
34:
1138:Acupuncture
911:NHS Choices
665:Die Hebamme
419:Der Spiegel
288:Der Spiegel
231:therapy as
224:NHS Choices
49:acupuncture
1122:Categories
1096:2013-11-25
1069:2013-11-25
1026:2013-11-25
960:2013-11-26
917:January 2,
721:2013-11-30
649:2013-11-26
587:2013-05-23
351:References
1090:The Times
858:Skeptiker
318:The Times
233:efficient
90:and knee
88:back pain
1020:ABC News
999:Die Welt
893:16420542
839:53090249
831:16818924
795:18460551
388:15942849
329:See also
299:ABC News
282:Die Welt
187:migraine
173:and the
69:migraine
229:placebo
121:History
63:, knee
891:
837:
829:
793:
713:]
611:
506:
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386:
169:, the
165:, the
41:German
835:S2CID
715:(PDF)
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633:(PDF)
440:(PDF)
80:GERAC
919:2019
889:PMID
860:(1).
827:PMID
791:PMID
609:ISBN
504:ISBN
472:ISBN
384:PMID
177:for
154:The
35:The
1063:BBC
881:doi
877:259
819:doi
815:145
781:doi
754:104
673:doi
376:doi
372:130
325:."
307:BBC
1124::
1087:.
1061:.
1043:.
1017:.
996:.
935:.
909:.
887:.
875:.
856:.
833:.
825:.
813:.
789:.
777:47
775:.
771:.
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883::
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210:(
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