Acupuncture helps reduce back pain

BAD ABBACH, Germany, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- German researchers found even superficial acupuncture treatments were more effective than conventional therapy for lower back pain relief.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found both traditional Chinese acupuncture -- with needles inserted 5 to 40 millimeters deep -- and sham acupuncture -- needles are only inserted to a depth of 1 to 3 millimeters -- were more effective than combining medication, physical therapy and exercise.

Dr. Michael Haake, of the University of Regensburg, in Bad Abbach, Germany, led a randomized clinical trial involving 1,162 patients, who had experienced an average of eight years chronic lower back pain. After six months, the response rate was 48 percent in the traditional acupuncture group, 44 percent in the sham acupuncture group and 27 percent in the conventional therapy group involving medication, physical therapy and exercise.

"The superiority of both forms of acupuncture suggests a common underlying mechanism that may act on pain generation, transmission of pain signals or processing of pain signals by the central nervous system," Haake said in a statement. "Acupuncture gives physicians a promising and effective treatment option for chronic low back pain, with few adverse effects or contraindications. The improvements in all primary and secondary outcome measures were significant and lasted long after completion of treatment."