Acupuncture may be more effective for back pain than standard treatments
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:05 AM PDT
By Washington Post
Printable version
E-mail this articleTHE QUESTION How does acupuncture compare with more-conventional treatments for relief of persistent back pain?
THIS STUDY randomly assigned 1,162 adults (average age, 50) with chronic low-back pain, present for an average of eight years, to be treated with acupuncture, fake acupuncture or a combination of pain medication, exercise and physical therapy (including such methods as massage, heat therapy and injections). All treatments involved 10 half-hour sessions. For fake acupuncture, needles were inserted superficially, at no known acupuncture points, and were not stimulated. Six months later, about 48 percent of the acupuncture group and 44 percent of those who received fake acupuncture reported significantly less pain, compared with 27 percent of people who'd been given traditional treatments.
WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? People with low-back pain. Pain is considered chronic if it persists for more than three months.
CAVEATS Participants' expectations of a benefit from acupuncture may have affected the outcome.
FIND THIS STUDY Sept. 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
LEARN MORE ABOUT low-back pain at www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders and www.neurosurgerytoday.org (click "Conditions & Treatments").
The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence about a treatment's effectiveness is rarely found in a single study. Anyone considering changing or beginning treatment of any kind should consult with a physician.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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