Acupuncture Offers an Option for Easing Pain
Even when needles don't pierce the skin, treatment seems to work
 (HealthDay News) -- When medications don't ease nagging low-back pain, some folks turn to an alternative therapy, such as acupuncture. But does it really work?
Though there's no definitive answer yet, recent studies suggest that acupuncture can, indeed, provide effective relief compared with conventional treatments.
What's even more surprising, though, is that treatments that merely mimic acupuncture have been shown to be just as effective as the real thing -- which involves the use of needles to pierce the skin at key anatomical points.
"It's not necessary to penetrate the skin," Daniel Cherkin, a senior investigator with the Center for Health Studies at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, told HealthDay.
Cherkin was lead author of a report that described a trial in which more than 600 adults with chronic low-back pain were randomized to one of four groups: individualized acupuncture, standardized acupuncture, simulated acupuncture or usual care. After 10 treatments over a seven-week period, all three treatment groups experienced improvement.
"All were superior to usual care," Cherkin said.
Low-back pain is the fifth most common reason for physician visits in the United States, according to the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society.
Often, clinicians will recommend "self-care" as a first course of treatment. This includes the use of over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen, to reduce stiffness, swelling and inflammation, says the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Exercise to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles is also recommended.
In treating people who do not experience relief of chronic low-back pain with self-management techniques, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society both recommend that clinicians consider adding a non-drug therapy, such as acupuncture.
Though researchers are still trying to sort out why acupuncture works, it's believed that stimulating specific points on the body restores the person's natural flow of energy, allowing healing to take place, according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Acupuncture practitioners use many variations of the treatment. The technique most often used in scientific studies involves the insertion of thin needles that are manipulated by hand or electrical stimulation, the agency explains.
So-called "sham" acupuncture, often used in studies as a basis of comparison, is intended to make recipients believe they are receiving the traditional treatment, according to a 2008 review of acupuncture treatment for low-back pain. The treatment, however, often involves the use of points on the body other than traditional acupuncture points or it uses a needle or other object to stimulate a point without penetrating the skin.
To find a qualified acupuncturist, the agency recommends:
-
Checking a practitioner's credentials. Most states require a license to practice acupuncture, but education and training standards and licensure requirements vary from state to state. A license doesn't assure quality care but indicates that the acupuncturist has attained a certain level of knowledge and met specified standards.
-
Not relying on the diagnosis of an acupuncturist who does not have substantial conventional medical training. If your doctor has diagnosed your condition, ask whether acupuncture may help.
On the Web
To learn more about acupuncture, visit the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
SOURCES: HealthDay News; Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., senior investigator, Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative, Seattle; May 11, 2009, and Oct. 2, 2007, Archives of Internal Medicine; 2008, The Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice; U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (www.ninds.nih.gov); U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (nccam.nih.gov)
Author: Karen Pallarito
Publication Date: May 31, 2010
Copyright © 2010 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
|
Site Feedback