BackCare

Acupuncture helps relieve back pain

12 May 2009

Researchers find that acupuncture can help to relieve chronic back pain

Findings from a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine on 11 May 2009 and reported by media organisations including The Times, find that acupuncture is more effective than standard treatments alone in treating chronic back pain.

The SPINE (stimulating points to investigate needling efficacy) trial involved 638 participants who were divided into two groups receiving either standard care alone or genuine or ‘fake’ (placebo) acupuncture. The placebo acupuncture involved using a toothpick hidden in a glass tube to simulate needle pricks without penetrating the skin. Patients received treatment twice a week for three weeks then once a week for a month and after eight weeks, six months and one year their back pain symptoms and the impact it had on their lives was measured.

After eight weeks 60% of patients receiving any type of acupuncture had some improvement in their level of pain and function. This compared to only 39% for those receiving normal care. After one year 59-65 % of participants receiving acupuncture experienced an improvement compared to 50% of the standard care group. The surprising finding was that the placebo treatment produced results comparable to genuine acupuncture. The findings suggest that acupuncture is successful in relieving discomfort caused by back pain although exactly how it works is still unclear. As the placebo group also produced positive results it is suggested that belief in the treatment may play a significant role in its success. These findings raise questions about how acupuncture works and has implications for those who find that conventional back pain treatments are not effective.

Dr. Dries Hettinga, former Head of Research and Policy at BackCare says: “We welcome this latest research that confirms findings of a large survey BackCare conducted. In this survey 19% of the respondents reported that acupuncture gave them long-term benefits for their back pain.” 

He also adds that, “…since both real acupuncture and ‘fake’ acupuncture resulted in improvements in back pain, the research brings up interesting questions around how acupuncture works. Again there is a need for more research in this area, but the results to date suggest that people with chronic back pain should also consider using acupuncture”.

The original study can be found at Archives of Internal Medicine.