Then you may qualify to join a study of the benefits of Acupuncture for lower back pain at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Back pain is one of the commonest musculoskeletal symptoms in older people. Standard treatments for chronic, nonspecific back pain do not offer cure, and often do not provide adequate pain relief. Side effects from standard treatments can also be a problem, especially in older patients. This study looks at whether older patients will benefit from acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture is a method of needling specific points on the body to treat disease.
Recent research has shown that acupuncture may work through the release of the body's own natural pain killers, called endorphins. In the United States, more than a million Americans use acupuncture, primarily to treat pain. Acupuncture is considered a safer treatment compared to many standard therapies. Standard care directed by my own physician Standard care plus acupuncture The acupuncture needles do not hurt in the same way as injections because the needles are very thin. Many also find acupuncture a relaxing experience.