Appendix a Specific Search Strategies Based on Each Database

Expertise-Based Randomized Controlled Trials

Appendix A – Specific Search Strategies based on each Database

I.  Medline

Search terms for RCT

Clinical trial.mp. OR clinical trial.pt. OR random$.mp. OR tu.xs

Search terms for back pain

exp Intervertebral disk/

exp Lumbar vertebrae/

exp Low-back pain/

exp Back Pain/

exp Sciatica/

Low back pain.tw.

Backache.tw.

Lumbago.tw.

Search terms for acupuncture

exp Acupuncture/

exp Acupuncture analgesia/

exp Acupuncture ear/

exp Acupuncture points/

exp Acupuncture therapy/

exp Acupressure/

acupuncture.tw.

electro-acupuncture.tw.

acupressure.tw.

Search terms for spinal manipulation

exp Musculoskeletal Manipulations/

exp Chiropractic/

exp manipulation, chiropractic/

exp manipulation, spinal/

exp manipulation, orthopedic/

exp manipulation, osteopathic/

(activator or adjustment or atlas orthogonality or BEST or biophysics or flexion distraction or diversified or gonstead or hio or kinesiology or logan or manipulation or network spinal analysis or neural organi?ation or neuro emotional or pierce stillwagon or sot or sacro occipital or thompson or toftness or toggle or torque release or upper cervical specific or vax-d).tw.

((cervical or thoracic or neck or lumbar$ or spine or spinal or manual or head or vertebr$ or para-spin$ or paraspin$) adj3 (adjust$ or manipulat$ or technique$ or treatment$ or treat or therap$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

((high velocity thrust$ or head retraction or forced rotation$) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

(exp Spine/ or exp Spinal Diseases/) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$).tw.

chiropract$.mp.

II.  Embase

Search terms for RCT

Clinical trial.mp. OR randomized controlled trial.pt. OR random$.ti,ab.

Search terms for back pain

exp Lumbar Spine/

exp Lumbosacral Spine/

exp Intervertebral Disk/

exp Intervertebral Disk Disease/

exp Lumbar Disk Hernia/

exp Low back pain/

exp Backache/

exp Ischialgia/

Low back pain.tw.

Backache.tw.

Lumbago.tw.

Search terms for acupuncture

exp Acupuncture /

exp Acupuncture analgesia/

acupuncture.tw.

electro-acupuncture.tw.

acupressure.tw.

Search terms for spinal manipulation

exp manipulative medicine/

(activator or adjustment or atlas orthogonality or BEST or biophysics or flexion distraction or diversified or gonstead or hio or kinesiology or logan or manipulation or network spinal analysis or neural organi?ation or neuro emotional or pierce stillwagon or sot or sacro occipital or thompson or toftness or toggle or torque release or upper cervical specific or vax-d).tw.

((cervical or thoracic or neck or lumbar$ or spine or spinal or manual or head or vertebr$ or para-spin$ or paraspin$) adj3 (adjust$ or manipulat$ or technique$ or treatment$ or treat or therap$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

((high velocity thrust$ or head retraction or forced rotation$) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

(exp Spine/ or exp Spinal Diseases/) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$).tw.

chiropract$.mp.

III. AMED

Search terms for RCT

Clinical trial.mp. OR clinical trial.pt. OR random$.mp.

Search terms for back pain

exp Intervertebral disk/

exp Lumbar vertebrae/

exp Low-back pain/

exp Sciatica/

exp Spine/

exp Backache/

Low back pain.tw.

Backache.tw.

Lumbago.tw.

Search terms for acupuncture

exp Acupuncture /

exp Acupuncture therapy/

acupuncture.tw.

electro-acupuncture.tw.

acupressure.tw.

Search terms for spinal manipulation

exp Osteopathy /

exp Chiropractic/

(activator or adjustment or atlas orthogonality or BEST or biophysics or flexion distraction or diversified or gonstead or hio or kinesiology or logan or manipulation or network spinal analysis or neural organi?ation or neuro emotional or pierce stillwagon or sot or sacro occipital or thompson or toftness or toggle or torque release or upper cervical specific or vax-d).tw.

((cervical or thoracic or neck or lumbar$ or spine or spinal or manual or head or vertebr$ or para-spin$ or paraspin$) adj3 (adjust$ or manipulat$ or technique$ or treatment$ or treat or therap$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

((high velocity thrust$ or head retraction or forced rotation$) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$)).mp.

(exp Spine/ or exp Spinal Diseases/) and (chiropract$ or adjust$ or manipulat$ or palpat$ or manual exam$ or manual diagnos$).tw.

chiropract$.mp.

IV. ICL

http://www.chiroindex.org/

Search terms:

Back pain: BACK PAIN/THERAPY

LUMBAR SPINE

LUMBAR VERTEBRAE/INJURIES

SCIATICA/THERAPY

Acupuncture: ACUPUNCTURE POINTS

ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY

Spinal manipulation: MANIPULATION, CHIROPRACTIC

MANIPULATION, LUMBAR

V.  Pedro

http://www.pedro.fhs.usyd.edu.au/index.html

Use of the advanced search tool in Pedro with the following selections:

Therapy: Acupuncture

Stretching, mobilization, manipulation, massage

Problem: No selection

Body part: Lumbar spine, sacro-iliac joint or pelvis

Subdiscipline: No selection

Method: Clinical trial

1