LOWER BACK PAIN MAY RESPOND BETTER TO ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY THAN CONVENTIONAL THERAPY
May 16th, 2008
If you suffer from lower back pain, six months of acupuncture treatment may result in more effective pain management than results obtained from conventional therapy, according to a recent report in Archives of Internal Medicine (JAMA/Archives).
“Low back pain is a common, impairing and disabling condition, often long-term. It is the second most common pain for which physician treatment is sought and a major reason for absenteeism and disability,” the study authors commented.
Michael Haake, Ph.D., M.D., University of Regensburg, Germany, and team carried out a randomized clinical trial with 1,162 patients, average age 50. All participants had previously experienced chronic low back pain for about eight years (average).
Participants were divided into three groups:
An acupuncture treatment group, comprised of 387 patients, received two 30-minute sessions per week for five weeks. Acupuncture treatment consisted of needling fixed points and additional points based on traditional Chinese medicine.
A sham acupuncture treatment group, comprised of 387 patients, received two 30-minute sessions per week for five weeks. Treatment consisted of inserting needles superficially into the lower back, distant from identified acupuncture points and channels.
A conventional therapy group, comprised of 388 patients, received two 30-minute sessions per week for five weeks. Treatment consisted of a combination of drugs, physical therapy and exercise.
The researchers defined a response rate as a 33 percent pain improvement and a 12 percent functional ability improvement. “At six months, the response rate was 47.6 percent in the acupuncture group, 44.2 percent in the sham acupuncture group and 27.4 percent in the conventional therapy group,” the authors noted.
“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 and that is stronger than the action mechanism of conventional therapy,” the researchers concluded.
Acupuncture gives physicians a promising and effective treatment option for chronic low back pain, with few adverse effects or contraindications. Acupuncture for low back pain can be integrated into primary care or utilized as a stand-alone therapy. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 80 percent of the general population in the United States will experience an episode of low back pain in their lifetimes.
Individuals receiving acupuncture for low back pain often find they have reduced concerns about back pain and reduced need for use of analgesics. Acupuncture for low back pain offers short-term benefits; however, benefits increase in the long-term over a period of 12 to 24 months of treatment.
In addition to acupuncture for low back pain, your acupuncture physician may recommend exercises to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles, which is helpful when back pain is being treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture for low back pain can also prevent a chronic condition from developing.
For more information about acupuncture for the treatment of low back pain call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, at (305) 595-9500.
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