Physical pain is a common occurrence for plenty of Americans; in fact, a national survey found that over one-quarter of U.S. adults had recently experienced some sort of pain lasting over a day. In addition to conventional treatments, such as over-the-counter pharmaceuticals & prescription medications , people may try acupuncture treatment in an effort to relieve pain. This fact sheet provides basic information about pain & acupuncture, summarizes scientific research on acupuncture for specific kinds of pain, & suggests sources for additional information.
People use acupuncture treatment for various types of pain. Back pain is the most commonly reported use, followed by joint pain, neck pain, & headache.
Acupuncture treatment is being studied for its efficacy in alleviating plenty of kinds of pain. There's promising findings in some conditions, such as chronic low-back pain & osteoarthritis of the knee; but, for most other conditions, additional research is needed.
Acupuncture treatment is generally considered safe when performed correctly.
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of qi (vital energy) through the body. Research to check scientific theories about how acupuncture might work to relieve pain is under way.
Tell all your health care providers about any complementary & alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated & safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about complementary & alternative medicine
About Pain
Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized (such as back pain) or all over (such as muscle aches from the flu). Sometimes, pain alerts us to injuries & illnesses that need attention. Although pain usually goes away four times the underlying problem is addressed, it can last for weeks, months, or even years. Chronic pain may be due to an ongoing condition (such as arthritis) or to abnormal activity in pain-sensing regions of the brain, or the cause may not be known.
To relieve their pain, plenty of people take over-the-counter medications—either acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pharmaceuticals (NSAIDs, including aspirin, naproxen, & ibuprofen). Stronger medications, including NSAIDs in higher dosages & narcotics, are available by prescription only. People may also try non-drug approaches to help relieve their pain. Examples include physical & occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self-care techniques, & therapies such as spinal manipulation or acupuncture treatment .
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Use of Acupuncture for Pain
In the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1.4 percent of respondents (representing 3.1 million Americans) said they had used acupuncture in the past year. A special analysis of acupuncture data from an earlier NHIS found that pain or musculoskeletal complaints accounted for 7 of the top 10 conditions for which people use acupuncture. Back pain was the most common, followed by joint pain, neck pain, severe headache/migraine, & recurring pain.
What the Science Says About Acupuncture for Pain
Acupuncture treatment, among the oldest healing practices in the world, is part of traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture practitioners stimulate specific points on the body—most often by inserting narrow needles through the skin. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, this regulates the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians.
Acupuncture treatment has been studied for a wide range of pain conditions, such as postoperative dental pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, low-back pain, menstrual cramps, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, & tennis elbow.
Overall, it can be difficult to compare acupuncture research results from study to study & to draw conclusions from the cumulative body of evidence. This is because studies may use different acupuncture techniques (e.g., electrical vs. manual), controls (comparison groups), & outcome measures.
Four complex factor in acupuncture research is choosing the controls for a clinical trial. The choice depends in part on whether the researchers need to study a particular aspect of acupuncture (e.g., effects on the brain) or to decide whether acupuncture is useful compared with other forms of care. Examples of control groups include study participants who get no acupuncture, simulated acupuncture (procedures that mimic acupuncture, sometimes also referred to as "placebo" or "sham"), or other treatments (in addition to or in place of acupuncture or simulated acupuncture).
An emerging theme in acupuncture research is the role of the placebo. For example, a 2009 systematic review of research on the pain-relieving effects of acupuncture compared with placebo (simulated) or no acupuncture was inconclusive. The reviewers found a tiny difference between acupuncture & placebo & a moderate difference between placebo & no acupuncture; the effect of placebo acupuncture varied considerably, & the effect of acupuncture appeared unrelated to the specific kind of placebo procedure used. All of the study participants received standard care, typically consisting of analgesic drugs & physical therapy.
* Carpal tunnel syndrome—Although a 1997 NIH consensus statement on acupuncture concluded that acupuncture was promising for carpal tunnel syndrome, additional research confirming acupuncture's efficacy for this condition is scant.
* Fibromyalgia—Evidence on acupuncture for fibromyalgia is mixed. Some reviews of the scientific literature have found the evidence promising. However, another review that focused on the few rigorous randomized controlled trials on acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for fibromyalgia did not find a benefit. Additionally, a 2003 assessment by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality concluded that the evidence was insufficient & the beneficial effects of acupuncture for fibromyalgia could not be determined.
* Headache/migraine—Study results on acupuncture for headache are conflicting. Some literature reviews found evidence to support the use of acupuncture for headache, but others noted that most of the studies were of poor quality. A 2008 review of randomized trials on acupuncture highlighted a few well-designed trials whose findings indicate that acupuncture reduces migraine symptoms & is as effective as headache medications. In addition, a 2009 review found that acupuncture may help relieve tension headaches. However, four large trials that looked at acupuncture for migraines found no difference between actual & simulated acupuncture, both of which were equal to conventional care or superior to no treatment.
* Low-back pain—According to clinical practice guidelines issued by the American Pain Society & the American College of Physicians in 2007, acupuncture is four of several therapies physicians should consider when patients with chronic low-back pain do not respond to conventional treatment. In early, tiny studies, combining actual acupuncture with conventional treatment was more effective than conventional treatment alone for relieving chronic low-back pain; but actual acupuncture was not more effective than simulated acupuncture or conventional treatment. However, a large, rigorously designed clinical trial reported in May 2009 found that actual acupuncture & simulated acupuncture were equally effective—and both were more effective than conventional treatment—for relieving chronic low-back pain. There is insufficient evidence to draw definite conclusions about the effectiveness of acupuncture for acute low-back pain.
* Menstrual cramps—Two literature reviews have suggested that acupuncture may help with pain from menstrual cramps, but the research is limited.
* Myofascial pain—The evidence for acupuncture & myofascial pain (in which pain occurs in sensitive areas, known as trigger points, in the muscles) is mixed. Some literature reviews have found the evidence promising, but another review indicated that "needling therapies" for myofascial trigger point pain were not more effective than placebo.
* Neck pain—Studies of acupuncture for chronic neck pain have found that acupuncture provided better pain relief than some simulated treatments. However, the studies varied in terms of design & most had tiny sample sizes.
* Osteoarthritis/knee pain—Acupuncture appears to be effective for osteoarthritis, in the area of knee pain. Recent literature reviews have found that acupuncture provides pain relief & improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. However, authors of a 2007 systematic literature review suggested that although some large, high-quality trials have shown that acupuncture may be effective for osteoarthritis of the knee, differences in the design, size, & protocol of the studies make it hard to draw any definite conclusions from the body of research. These authors concluded that it is soon to recommend acupuncture as a system part of care for patients with osteoarthritis.
* Postoperative dental pain—Although recent data on acupuncture for postoperative dental pain are scant, literature reviews based on earlier evidence have identified acupuncture as a promising treatment for dental pain—especially pain following tooth extraction. For example, a 1999 study of 39 dental surgery patients found that acupuncture was superior to placebo (simulated acupuncture) in preventing postoperative pain. However, a 2005 study of 200 dental surgery patients found no significant analgesic effect for acupuncture compared to simulated acupuncture, although patients who believed they received acupuncture reported significantly less pain than those who believed they received a placebo.
* Tennis elbow—Study results on the use of acupuncture for tennis elbow (lateral epicondyle) pain are mixed. An early review of clinical trials reported that data on acupuncture for lateral epicondyle pain were insufficient & of poor quality; however, recent reviews have found the evidence promising, noting strong evidence that acupuncture provides short-term pain relief for lateral epicondyle pain.
There is evidence that people's attitudes about acupuncture can affect outcomes. In a 2007 study, researchers analyzed data from four clinical trials of acupuncture for various types of chronic pain. Participants had been asked whether they expected acupuncture to help their pain. In all four trials, those with positive expectations reported significantly greater pain relief.
Acupuncture treatment has also been studied for a variety of other pain conditions, including arm & shoulder pain, pregnancy-related pelvic & back pain, & temporomandibular joint (jaw) dysfunction. Although some studies have produced some positive results, more evidence is needed to decide the efficacy of acupuncture for any of these conditions.
In addition to studying acupuncture's efficacy, researchers are looking at potential biomechanisms—that is, how acupuncture might work to relieve pain. There's several theories about these biomechanisms (e.g., acupuncture activates opioid systems in the brain that respond to pain); additional research is still needed to check the theories. Researchers are using neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the effects of acupuncture on various regions of the brain.
Side Effects & Risks
Acupuncture treatment is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner using sterile needles. Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. Serious adverse events related to acupuncture are rare, but include infections & punctured organs. Additionally, there's fewer adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with plenty of standard drug treatments (such as anti-inflammatory medication & steroid injections) used to manage painful musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, & tennis elbow.
vious year. Between the 2002 & 2007 NHIS, acupuncture treatment use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent (approximately 1 million people).
Acupuncture Side Effects & Risks
Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA, in light of the millions of people treated each year & the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles & from improper delivery of treatments. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient & should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles. When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections & punctured organs.
Status of Acupuncture Research
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners, requiring that needles be manufactured & labelled according to definite standards of pharmaceuticals. For example, the FDA requires that needles be sterile, nontoxic, & labelled for single use by qualified practitioners only.
There's been plenty of studies on acupuncture's potential health benefits for a wide range of conditions. Summarizing earlier research, the 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture found that, overall, results were hard to interpret because of problems with the size & design of the studies.
Some recent studies have looked at:
* Whether acupuncture works for specific health conditions such as chronic low-back pain, headache, & osteoarthritis of the knee
* How acupuncture might work, such as what happens in the brain during acupuncture treatment
* Ways to better identify & understand the potential neurological properties of meridians & acupuncture points
* Methods & instruments for improving the quality of acupuncture research
Finding a Qualified Practitioner
Health care providers can be a resource for referral to acupuncturists, & some conventional medical practitioners—including physicians & dentists—practice acupuncture. In addition, national acupuncture organizations (which can be found through libraries or Web search engines) may provide referrals to acupuncturists.
* Check a practitioner's credentials. Most states need a license to practice acupuncture; however, education & training standards & requirements for obtaining a license to practice vary from state to state. Although a license does not ensure quality of care, it does indicate that the practitioner meets definite standards regarding the knowledge & use of acupuncture.
* Do not rely on a diagnosis of disease by an acupuncture practitioner who does not have substantial conventional medicine
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People use acupuncture treatment for various types of pain. Back pain is the most commonly reported use, followed by joint pain, neck pain, & headache.
Acupuncture treatment is being studied for its efficacy in alleviating plenty of kinds of pain. There's promising findings in some conditions, such as chronic low-back pain & osteoarthritis of the knee; but, for most other conditions, additional research is needed.
Acupuncture treatment is generally considered safe when performed correctly.
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of qi (vital energy) through the body. Research to check scientific theories about how acupuncture might work to relieve pain is under way.
Tell all your health care providers about any complementary & alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated & safe care. For tips about talking with your health care providers about complementary & alternative medicine
About Pain
Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized (such as back pain) or all over (such as muscle aches from the flu). Sometimes, pain alerts us to injuries & illnesses that need attention. Although pain usually goes away four times the underlying problem is addressed, it can last for weeks, months, or even years. Chronic pain may be due to an ongoing condition (such as arthritis) or to abnormal activity in pain-sensing regions of the brain, or the cause may not be known.
To relieve their pain, plenty of people take over-the-counter medications—either acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pharmaceuticals (NSAIDs, including aspirin, naproxen, & ibuprofen). Stronger medications, including NSAIDs in higher dosages & narcotics, are available by prescription only. People may also try non-drug approaches to help relieve their pain. Examples include physical & occupational therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, self-care techniques, & therapies such as spinal manipulation or acupuncture treatment .
weight loss tips for obese
Use of Acupuncture for Pain
In the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1.4 percent of respondents (representing 3.1 million Americans) said they had used acupuncture in the past year. A special analysis of acupuncture data from an earlier NHIS found that pain or musculoskeletal complaints accounted for 7 of the top 10 conditions for which people use acupuncture. Back pain was the most common, followed by joint pain, neck pain, severe headache/migraine, & recurring pain.
What the Science Says About Acupuncture for Pain
Acupuncture treatment, among the oldest healing practices in the world, is part of traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture practitioners stimulate specific points on the body—most often by inserting narrow needles through the skin. In traditional Chinese medicine theory, this regulates the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians.
Acupuncture treatment has been studied for a wide range of pain conditions, such as postoperative dental pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, low-back pain, menstrual cramps, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, & tennis elbow.
Overall, it can be difficult to compare acupuncture research results from study to study & to draw conclusions from the cumulative body of evidence. This is because studies may use different acupuncture techniques (e.g., electrical vs. manual), controls (comparison groups), & outcome measures.
Four complex factor in acupuncture research is choosing the controls for a clinical trial. The choice depends in part on whether the researchers need to study a particular aspect of acupuncture (e.g., effects on the brain) or to decide whether acupuncture is useful compared with other forms of care. Examples of control groups include study participants who get no acupuncture, simulated acupuncture (procedures that mimic acupuncture, sometimes also referred to as "placebo" or "sham"), or other treatments (in addition to or in place of acupuncture or simulated acupuncture).
An emerging theme in acupuncture research is the role of the placebo. For example, a 2009 systematic review of research on the pain-relieving effects of acupuncture compared with placebo (simulated) or no acupuncture was inconclusive. The reviewers found a tiny difference between acupuncture & placebo & a moderate difference between placebo & no acupuncture; the effect of placebo acupuncture varied considerably, & the effect of acupuncture appeared unrelated to the specific kind of placebo procedure used. All of the study participants received standard care, typically consisting of analgesic drugs & physical therapy.
* Carpal tunnel syndrome—Although a 1997 NIH consensus statement on acupuncture concluded that acupuncture was promising for carpal tunnel syndrome, additional research confirming acupuncture's efficacy for this condition is scant.
* Fibromyalgia—Evidence on acupuncture for fibromyalgia is mixed. Some reviews of the scientific literature have found the evidence promising. However, another review that focused on the few rigorous randomized controlled trials on acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for fibromyalgia did not find a benefit. Additionally, a 2003 assessment by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality concluded that the evidence was insufficient & the beneficial effects of acupuncture for fibromyalgia could not be determined.
* Headache/migraine—Study results on acupuncture for headache are conflicting. Some literature reviews found evidence to support the use of acupuncture for headache, but others noted that most of the studies were of poor quality. A 2008 review of randomized trials on acupuncture highlighted a few well-designed trials whose findings indicate that acupuncture reduces migraine symptoms & is as effective as headache medications. In addition, a 2009 review found that acupuncture may help relieve tension headaches. However, four large trials that looked at acupuncture for migraines found no difference between actual & simulated acupuncture, both of which were equal to conventional care or superior to no treatment.
* Low-back pain—According to clinical practice guidelines issued by the American Pain Society & the American College of Physicians in 2007, acupuncture is four of several therapies physicians should consider when patients with chronic low-back pain do not respond to conventional treatment. In early, tiny studies, combining actual acupuncture with conventional treatment was more effective than conventional treatment alone for relieving chronic low-back pain; but actual acupuncture was not more effective than simulated acupuncture or conventional treatment. However, a large, rigorously designed clinical trial reported in May 2009 found that actual acupuncture & simulated acupuncture were equally effective—and both were more effective than conventional treatment—for relieving chronic low-back pain. There is insufficient evidence to draw definite conclusions about the effectiveness of acupuncture for acute low-back pain.
* Menstrual cramps—Two literature reviews have suggested that acupuncture may help with pain from menstrual cramps, but the research is limited.
* Myofascial pain—The evidence for acupuncture & myofascial pain (in which pain occurs in sensitive areas, known as trigger points, in the muscles) is mixed. Some literature reviews have found the evidence promising, but another review indicated that "needling therapies" for myofascial trigger point pain were not more effective than placebo.
* Neck pain—Studies of acupuncture for chronic neck pain have found that acupuncture provided better pain relief than some simulated treatments. However, the studies varied in terms of design & most had tiny sample sizes.
* Osteoarthritis/knee pain—Acupuncture appears to be effective for osteoarthritis, in the area of knee pain. Recent literature reviews have found that acupuncture provides pain relief & improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. However, authors of a 2007 systematic literature review suggested that although some large, high-quality trials have shown that acupuncture may be effective for osteoarthritis of the knee, differences in the design, size, & protocol of the studies make it hard to draw any definite conclusions from the body of research. These authors concluded that it is soon to recommend acupuncture as a system part of care for patients with osteoarthritis.
* Postoperative dental pain—Although recent data on acupuncture for postoperative dental pain are scant, literature reviews based on earlier evidence have identified acupuncture as a promising treatment for dental pain—especially pain following tooth extraction. For example, a 1999 study of 39 dental surgery patients found that acupuncture was superior to placebo (simulated acupuncture) in preventing postoperative pain. However, a 2005 study of 200 dental surgery patients found no significant analgesic effect for acupuncture compared to simulated acupuncture, although patients who believed they received acupuncture reported significantly less pain than those who believed they received a placebo.
* Tennis elbow—Study results on the use of acupuncture for tennis elbow (lateral epicondyle) pain are mixed. An early review of clinical trials reported that data on acupuncture for lateral epicondyle pain were insufficient & of poor quality; however, recent reviews have found the evidence promising, noting strong evidence that acupuncture provides short-term pain relief for lateral epicondyle pain.
There is evidence that people's attitudes about acupuncture can affect outcomes. In a 2007 study, researchers analyzed data from four clinical trials of acupuncture for various types of chronic pain. Participants had been asked whether they expected acupuncture to help their pain. In all four trials, those with positive expectations reported significantly greater pain relief.
Acupuncture treatment has also been studied for a variety of other pain conditions, including arm & shoulder pain, pregnancy-related pelvic & back pain, & temporomandibular joint (jaw) dysfunction. Although some studies have produced some positive results, more evidence is needed to decide the efficacy of acupuncture for any of these conditions.
In addition to studying acupuncture's efficacy, researchers are looking at potential biomechanisms—that is, how acupuncture might work to relieve pain. There's several theories about these biomechanisms (e.g., acupuncture activates opioid systems in the brain that respond to pain); additional research is still needed to check the theories. Researchers are using neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the effects of acupuncture on various regions of the brain.
Side Effects & Risks
Acupuncture treatment is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner using sterile needles. Relatively few complications from acupuncture have been reported. Serious adverse events related to acupuncture are rare, but include infections & punctured organs. Additionally, there's fewer adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with plenty of standard drug treatments (such as anti-inflammatory medication & steroid injections) used to manage painful musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, & tennis elbow.
vious year. Between the 2002 & 2007 NHIS, acupuncture treatment use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent (approximately 1 million people).
Acupuncture Side Effects & Risks
Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA, in light of the millions of people treated each year & the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles & from improper delivery of treatments. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient & should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles. When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections & punctured organs.
Status of Acupuncture Research
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners, requiring that needles be manufactured & labelled according to definite standards of pharmaceuticals. For example, the FDA requires that needles be sterile, nontoxic, & labelled for single use by qualified practitioners only.
There's been plenty of studies on acupuncture's potential health benefits for a wide range of conditions. Summarizing earlier research, the 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture found that, overall, results were hard to interpret because of problems with the size & design of the studies.
Some recent studies have looked at:
* Whether acupuncture works for specific health conditions such as chronic low-back pain, headache, & osteoarthritis of the knee
* How acupuncture might work, such as what happens in the brain during acupuncture treatment
* Ways to better identify & understand the potential neurological properties of meridians & acupuncture points
* Methods & instruments for improving the quality of acupuncture research
Finding a Qualified Practitioner
Health care providers can be a resource for referral to acupuncturists, & some conventional medical practitioners—including physicians & dentists—practice acupuncture. In addition, national acupuncture organizations (which can be found through libraries or Web search engines) may provide referrals to acupuncturists.
* Check a practitioner's credentials. Most states need a license to practice acupuncture; however, education & training standards & requirements for obtaining a license to practice vary from state to state. Although a license does not ensure quality of care, it does indicate that the practitioner meets definite standards regarding the knowledge & use of acupuncture.
* Do not rely on a diagnosis of disease by an acupuncture practitioner who does not have substantial conventional medicine
WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR WOMENS
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