Acupuncture is often used for the treatment of pain. In a study by researchers from the Chengd University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture received five times a week for four weeks significantly reduced pain and improved stiffness in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
More than 550 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis took part in the 26-week trial. The participants were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or self-help strategies recommended by the Arthritis Foundation (the latter served as a control group).Significant differences in response were seen by week eight and 14, and at the end of the trial, the group receiving real acupuncture had a 40 percent decrease in pain and a nearly 40 percent improvement in function compared to baseline assessments — a 33 percent difference in improvement over the sham group.
Article
Credits:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/23/how-does-acupuncture-work.aspx
Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion 2014, 6,
pages 35-38
Annals
of Internal Medicine 2004 Dec 21;141(12):901-10