Acupuncture Proven to Provide Back Pain Relief

Researchers Study Acupuncture

In 2005, researchers from the University of Maryland Medical School and the Peninsula Medical School in the United Kingdom analyzed 31 studies of acupuncture and found treatment to be effective for chronic back pain.  Out of 31 studies, researchers decided to use 22 studies that covered about 2100 patients.  They excluded 11 studies because the data couldn’t be combined with the information with the remaining studies.  The patients included in the study were those with chronic back pain or pregnancy related back pain.  The study was double-blinded, meaning the doctors and patients weren’t aware of who was receiving the real acupuncture treatment.  The need for this study was to get effective results that met the highest medical and scientific standards. 

Results

After reviewing the results, researchers found there was a significant difference between those who received acupuncture treatment and those who received the placebo treatment.  Effects of acupuncture were evaluated in short term (3 weeks after the last treatment was received) and found that it was helpful in relieving pain.  Also, pain was subsided for a longer period of time.  Researchers found inconclusive information on patients who encountered back pain for more than three months.  The message from this study shows that acupuncture is truly an effective treatment for back pain.  Besides acupuncture, patients who experience back pain have several options of treatment including chiropractic care, pain medication, and back exercises.