Study Says Acupuncture Eases Arthritis Pain

Barbara Leivent, a patient of Ping Zhang, a licensed acupuncturist, rests with acupuncture needles on her face during a face lift treatment at Zhang's office in Port Washington, New York October 28, 2004. Chinese Acupuncture Face Lift is based on the traditional Chinese medicine healing theory that the face is the place where the essence of "yin" organs and energy of "yang" organs merge together via energy channels called "meridians." The face is the only place where all 14 different meridians either end or start from. The acupuncture face lift works by inserting fine needles on the point from different meridians on the body, face, ear, scalp and local problem areas according to each individuals condition of imbalances. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (Shannon Stapleton - Reuters)

"This disease is one of the most frequent causes of physical disability among adults," said Stephen I. Katz, director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, which also helped fund the study. "This well-done study shows that acupuncture is an effective complement . . . to standard care."

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment that involves inserting very thin metal needles in specific spots that are then manipulated by hand or sometimes stimulated with electricity. About 2 million Americans are estimated to have used acupuncture.

Berman and his colleagues gave the participants, who were experiencing moderate or severe pain despite taking standard painkillers, either real acupuncture, simulated acupuncture or information about arthritis.

The researchers took a number of steps to prevent patients from knowing whether they were getting real or sham treatment. A screen blocked their view of the treatment area. Those receiving the sham acupuncture did not have needles inserted into their skin in most places. Instead, they had needles, needle guides and adhesive tape placed on the skin so they could not tell the difference, because insertion of acupuncture needles is usually painless. When the acupuncturists applied electrical stimulation to the needles, lights flashed even though no power was applied.

The participants who received the real or sham acupuncture underwent 24 treatments over a 26-week period and had their pain and mobility measured using standard scales. After 26 weeks, those receiving the real thing experienced a 40 percent reduction in pain and improvement in function, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"They weren't pain-free, but there was a significant difference," Berman said. "We concluded that acupuncture is safe and effective for reducing pain and improving physical function, and these were people with moderate or greater pain despite being on their medical therapy."

Those receiving the sham treatment experienced a 30 percent reduction, which the researchers attributed to a placebo effect.

It remains unclear how acupuncture might work, but Berman said some research has suggested that inserting the needles may stimulate the body to release chemicals that reduce pain and inflammation.