Acupuncture can relieve the pain of arthritis:
” Acupuncture can reduce pain and improve mobility in arthritis patients by 40 per cent, scientists say.
They announced the finding after conducting one of the world’s longest and largest clinical trials to investigate the ancient Chinese needle treatment.
A total of 570 patients aged 50 and older with osteoarthritis of the knee took part in the American study.
All had suffered significant pain in their knee the month before joining the trial, but had never experienced acupuncture.
Significant increase in function
They were randomly assigned to one of three treatments – genuine acupuncture, “sham” acupuncture, or a self-help course that teaches patients to manage their own condition.
Throughout the 26 week trial, participants continued to receive their normal standard medical care, including anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers.
By the eighth week, genuine acupuncture patients showed a significant increase in function compared with both the sham treatment and self-help groups. By week 14, they were also experiencing a significant decrease in pain.
Overall, pain was reduced by about 40% and function improved by almost 40% in the volunteers receiving acupuncture. “
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