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Science finds a point to acupuncture

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  • 23-12-2004 12:15am
    #1
    sextusempiricus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 76 ✭✭


    The title for this thread is from the London 'Times' of Dec 21st which reports a clinical trial on the use of acupuncture for ostoearthritis of the knee. Full details are in the 'Annals of Internal Medicine' for the same date. A summary can be found at
    http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/141/12/901
    This trial is larger than previous studies. A total of 570 patients aged 50 + with osteoarthritis of their knees were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 1) genuine acupuncture 2) "sham" acupuncture and 3) a self- help course teaching patients to manage their own disease.
    During the course of the study patients could continue their normal medication of analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. At 8 weeks the genuine acupuncture group showed a significant increase in function compared to the other two groups and at week 26 were also experiencing a significant decrease in pain.
    Pain was reduced about 40% and mobility improved by almost 40% in the acupuncture group.
    Comment: This is some evidence that acupuncture helps. It is also safe.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories can cause acute gastric ulcers with sometimes fatal haemorrhage and fluid retention possibly raising blood pressure. They are a common cause of iatrogenic disease.
    Funding for the study came partly for the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine as well as the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin diseases.
    It needs to be repeated.


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