Acupuncture is one of the many skills employed within physiotherapy as part of an integrated approach to treat pain, inflammation and related conditions. Physiotherapists base their treatments on scientific research and clinical evidence. There is an increasing number of research publications both in the UK and worldwide highlighting the effectiveness of acupuncture when compared to other treatment modalities, such as opioids and exercises.
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A selection of recent research projects showed the following:
– A 2012 UK study of a number of research projects on acupuncture for osteoarthritis in the knee concluded amongst others: “…most studies were of acupuncture (11 trials) or muscle-strengthening exercise (9 trials); both interventions were statistically significantly better than standard care, with acupuncture statistically significantly better than muscle-strengthening exercise…” and “…acupuncture can be considered as one of the more effective physical treatments for alleviating osteoarthritis knee pain in the short term.” For the full article please click here.
– An extensive UK project analysing the safety of acupuncture in 2006 concluded: “In conclusion, acupuncture is a very safe intervention in the hands of competent practitioners.” For the full article please click here.
– A study of Acupuncture for Patients with Chronic Neck pain from 2006 concluded: “Treatment with acupuncture added to routine care in patients with chronic neck pain was associated with improvements in neck pain and disability compared to treatment with routine care alone.” For the full article please download here.
For information on the safety of acupuncture, please click here.