Abstract

LUSSON PELEGRIN, Marbelis  and  DESPAIGNE COBAS, Yadis. Cost-effectiveness of the acupuncture therapy in cervical osteoarthritis. MEDISAN [online]. 2011, vol.15, n.3, pp.308-315. ISSN 1029-3019.

A financial evaluation of acupuncture therapy cost-effectiveness was performed in 76 patients with already diagnosed cervical osteoarthritis belonging to "El Toro" physician's office from "Eduardo Mesa LLull" Teaching Polyclinic of II Frente municipality in Santiago de Cuba province, from January 2008 to June 2009, for which 2 techniques were used: acupuncture in group A and conventional medication in group B, both were applied in 38 patients respectively. Main findings revealed that acupuncture therapy was less expensive than drug therapy ($ 785, 85 and $ 1 568, 63 respectively) and therapy response was obtained in a shorter period (8 days average) with the thousand-year-old technique, in contrast to pharmacotherapy (21 days average). Finally, it was observed that acupuncture was effective in all patients and medications only in 13 (34,2 %).

Keywords : acupuncture; Chinese traditional medicine; medication; cervical osteoarthritis; cost-effectiveness; primary health care.

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