The "Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Low Back Pain 2019, 2nd Edition" was published in May, 2019. We found multiple issues of serious misinformation on acupuncture; these included, but are not limited to inappropriate conclusions due to errors in literature selection, data extraction and data input. Accordingly we point out each error and provide the correct information. 1. A published paper of meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Japanese acupuncture for low back pain in Japanese patients is ignored. 2. Regarding acupuncture for acute low back pain, some RCT data has been incorrectly inputted and analyzed. The wrong numbers have been mistakenly inserted into the analysis software (plus instead of minus) leading to the opposite and incorrect conclusion that acupuncture is not superior to the control group. Furthermore, in a meta-analysis on the effect of acupuncture on functional disorder, data on pain are incorrectly inputted and analyzed. 3. The Guidelines' meta-analysis on acupuncture for chronic low back pain included five RCT papers. The papers included acupuncture (1 article), auricular point acupressure (2 articles), laser acupuncture (1 article) and acupressure backrest (1 article). Only one article in the meta-analysis used needle-inserting acupuncture, therefore, this is not a meta-analysis on acupuncture. There are also many errors in data input. Moreover, there is mislabeling of the forest plot figures: Figure 7 is incorrectly labelled "pain", but actually shows data on "functional disorder" (Figure 8), and vice versa. 4. A published paper of meta-analysis on the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture is ignored. Additionally, although a paper of "meta-analysis on the health economic effects of yoga" is cited, the health economic effects of yoga are not actually addressed or mentioned in that paper. Although the Guidelines state they have fully complied with "Minds Manual for Guideline Development 2014" (Minds: Medical Information Network Distribution Service, Japan Council for Quality Health Care), they did not set up a systematic review team, and do not state whether or not they organized an external review committee. Such circumstances may have contributed to the serious errors in the Guidelines. Because we have also recognized many errors regarding other therapies addressed in the Guidelines, we fear that the present Guidelines may destroy the credibility of the entire clinical practice guidelines published in Japan. We strongly hope that a corrected and revised version is published as soon as possible.

The Japan-Korea Workshop on Acupuncture and EBM is an academic exchange between the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (JSAM) and the Korean Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medical Society (KAMMS). The theme of the 9th and 10th Workshop was clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Three Korean and two Japanese speakers presented in the 9th Workshop held at Osaka, and two in each country did in the 10th at Jecheon, Korea. Since Korea has already developed some Korean Medicine CPGs, the present state and protocols for improvement process were reported. On the other hand, Japan has not developed such CPGs on acupuncture. The Japanese speakers therefore presented results of a survey on Japanese CPGs that include “acupuncture-moxibustion” as a treatment option and quality assessment of those CPGs. Although there are some differences on circumstances surrounding acupuncture practice between Japan and Korea, it was a good opportunity to obtain useful information for developing CPG on acupuncture in Japan and to discuss on this issue with Korean researchers preceding in this area. We reaffirmed the need for continued academic exchange between JSAM and KAAMS.

Case reports are studies that document the detailed progression of a single case, representing the most accessible research style for clinicians. Even a single case can provide insights that may hint at directions for future research and clinical practice, and enhancing the quality of case reports can strengthen the scientific foundation of acupuncture. Therefore, it is advisable for acupuncturists to actively pursue case reporting based on their daily clinical experiences. However, to make case reports meaningful, they must be correctly "evaluated." Evaluation in acupuncture practice is broadly divided into assessment of the condition and the outcomes of treatment. The assessment of the condition involves understanding the patient's current state through consultation and physical examination, while outcome evaluation assesses changes in the patient following treatment. Here, "evaluation" refers to the latter-observing changes in patient outcomes. We discussed how patient outcomes are assessed in daily practice, how these assessments are utilized, and how they can lead to presentations at academic conferences, aiming to help with those who are one step away from making such conference presentations.

Case reports are an indispensable research format in the advancement of medicine. They play a significant role in accumulating medical knowledge on new or rare diseases and evaluating the efficacy and safety of therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, case reports provide a critical opportunity for generating new research hypotheses and are widely recognized for their value as essential educational tools for healthcare professionals. However, some case reports fail to include sufficient essential information, and their incompleteness or lack of transparency may lead to misinterpretation by readers. To address these issues, the CARE (CAse REport) guidelines were established in 2013, providing standards to improve the completeness and transparency of case reports. The CARE guidelines comprehensively cover essential reporting items for case reports in various fields. By adhering to these guidelines, authors can ensure the completeness of information and achieve transparent reporting. However, there still does not seem to be sufficient recognition and dissemination of the CARE guidelines in Japan. Therefore, this article introduces the key components of the CARE guidelines and discusses their application, particularly in the field of acupuncture practice. It is hoped that the wider use of the CARE guidelines in case reports related to acupuncture will enhance reporting quality and facilitate the provision of more reliable and credible information.