Acupuncture Superior to Conventional Treatment of Low Back Pain, Study Says

According to German researchers acupuncture represents an effective alternative to conventional therapy for low-back pain.

Acupuncture refers to the procedure of inserting and manipulating needles into "acupuncture points" on the body with the objective of restoring health and well-being. It can be used, according to Chinese medicine, to different types of pain and diseases.

Scientists and doctors are studying the mechanisms and efficacy of acupuncture

The German Acupuncture Trials involved clinicians in 340 outpatient practices and included 1,162 patients who had a history of low-back pain lasting an average of eight years. Trial participants were treated with either verum (real, true) or sham (fake, simulated) acupuncture or conventional therapy, which consisted of a combination of drugs, physical therapy, and exercise.

Verum (true) acupuncture consisted of 10 sessions (30 minute) of treatment according to traditional principles of Chinese medicine. Patients assigned to sham (fake) acupuncture received superficial needling at non-acupuncture points.

A six-month response rate was measured. Response rate was defined as at least 33% improvement on three pain-related items on what is known as the Von Korff Chronic Pain Grade Scale or 12% improvement on the back-specific Hanover Functional Ability Questionnaire. These two scales measure the intensity of back pain.

After six months, 47.6% of patients in the verum (true) acupuncture group had responded, as had 44.2% in the sham acupuncture group, and 27.4% in the group that received conventional therapy. Both acupuncture groups had significantly higher response rates compared with conventional therapy (combination of drugs, physical therapy, and exercise).

One of the points that the authors raised is the fact that sham (fake) acupuncture worked just as well as verum, or true, acupuncture. The researchers believe that common underlying mechanisms may act on pain generation, transmission of pain signals, or processing of pain signals by the central nervous system. Both fake and true acupuncture were superior to traditional or conventional medical advice.

In addition, or alternatively, fake needling could have triggered the release of endorphins or other therapeutic effects. The sham procedures also could have had an unexpectedly large placebo effect.

Today, general public and doctors are accepting acupuncture as an alternative ,method for treating a variety of illness.

Many americans have tried acupuncture. Sixty per cent of American doctors in 2005 believed that acupuncture was at least somewhat effective, with the percentage increasing to 75% if acupuncture is considered as a complement to conventional treatment.

In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration changed the status of acupuncture needles from Class III to Class II medical devices, meaning that they are being regarded today as safe and effective when manipulated by licensed practitioners

Source:

Haake M et al. "German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for chronic low back plain. Randomized, multicenter, blinded, parallel-group trial with 3 groups." Arch Intern Med 2007; 167: 1892-1898.

FDA: www.fda.gov