Objectives: To compare the efficacy of acupuncture and placebo acupuncture in patients with mechanical chronic neck pain.
 

Study desing: Thirty patients with chronic neck pain were randomly allocated into acupuncture and placebo acupuncture groups. Fifteen patients were treated with traditional acupuncture and 15 patients with placebo acupunture for 20 minutes, twice a week of, total 8 sessions. Both groups were evaluated and compared for pain and functional status before, at the end of treatment and one month after treatment. Pain and functional status were evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).
 

Results: Pain scores of both groups at baseline and posttreatment, at baseline and one month after treatment showed significant difference (p<0.001). Posttreatment and one month after treatment showed significant difference in acupunture group. Whereas there was no significant difference in the placebo acupuncture group. The functional status scores of both acupuncture and placebo acupuncture group at baseline and posttreatment, at baseline and one month after treatment showed significant difference (p<0.001 in acupuncture group, p<0.05 in placebo acupuncture group). Both acupuncture group and placebo group at posttreatment and one month after treatment did not show significant difference. When acupuncture group was compared with placebo acupuncture group according to pain and functional status, no significant difference was found. 
 

Conclusions: No significant difference was found between efficacy of acupuncture and placebo acupuncture for the treatment of chronic neck pain. Further randomized, controlled, high methodologic quality trials are needed