Acupuncture in addition to conventional therapy reduces the pain suffered by people with osteoarthritis, according to the results of an NIH-supported study presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Although more patients are turning to complementary medicine, and more physicians want to integrate alternative care into their practices, evidence for the efficacy of these methods is generally lacking, according to Dr. Brian M. Berman, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Berman and colleagues studied the impact of acupuncture on pain levels in knee arthritis among the elderly. The researchers evaluated 73 people with moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee that could not be relieved by standard anti-inflammatory drugs. The patients were randomly assigned to either continue on anti-inflammatory drugs alone or to add 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment.

After 3 months, ``there were significant changes,'' Berman told Reuters Health. ``Acupuncture did reduce their pain, they had less stiffness, and they were able to function better.''

He said the results offer encouragement as he and his colleagues plan a larger trial of 570 patients.

Berman also is conducting another NIH-funded study to examine the efficacy of acupuncture for pain after dental surgery.

(From ChinaDaily)