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Acupuncture therapy can effectively reduce disability for those with low back pain. That’s the result of a Kaiser Permanente randomized, study of 789 older adults in 3 healthcare systems across the US and recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Network publication.

Two experimental groups received acupuncture: the SA group, standard acupuncture group, received 8-15 acupuncture sessions plus usual medical therapy (UMT) of pain management and physical therapy; the EA group, extended acupuncture group, received 4-6 additional acupuncture sessions plus the usual medical therapy. All participants were surveyed at 3, 6, and 12 months following therapy initiation using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.

When the numbers were crunched, those receiving acupuncture enjoyed a significant reduction in their perceived disability and pain. In most cases, the acupuncture effect peaked at 6 months. Compared with those receiving only UMT, those receiving the SA were 32% more likely to have a significant disability reduction. Those receiving EA were 49% more likely. For significant pain intensity reduction, SA improved the chances 44% while EA improved them 71%.

Bottom line: acupuncture by qualified therapists is a value-added treatment for older adults with chronic low back pain.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2838793

#acupuncture #backpain #disability