Acupuncture is one of the oldest recorded forms of medicine. It has been used for over 3000 years by the Chinese. Modern scientific research shows that acupuncture stimulates the brain to produce natural chemicals called endorphins. These aid pain relief and furthermore help the body heal itself.
Research
A recent study* in Australia has shown acupuncture to be an effective alternative to pain medications for some emergency department patients. Producing better results than pain relief drugs alone. The research involved 528 patients. Making it the world’s largest randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture in an emergency department.
The study looked at patients with acute low back pain, migraines and ankle sprains, who reported their level of pain to be at least 4 out of 10. The patients were given either acupuncture alone, acupuncture combined with pain relief medication, or medication alone.
Conclusion
Interestingly, more patients in the acupuncture-only group said they would probably or definitely repeat their treatment. Compared to those in the combined group or the pain relief medication-alone group.
Lead investigator for the study Marc Cohen, MBBS, PhD, a professor in the School of Health & Biomedical Sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, said of the results: “Emergency nurses and doctors need a variety of pain-relieving options for patients, given the concerns around opioids such as morphine, which carry the risk of addiction when used long-term.”
Acupuncture is available at The Iveson Clinic. Many of our patients report great results after having it. If you would like more information or to make an appointment, please give us a call on 01787 374964.
If you are ready to try alternative medicine for pain relief, check out cbdforsure.com to learn more about CBD oil and its medical use.
* Cohen MM, Smit DV, Andrianopoulos N, et al. ‘Acupuncture for analgesia in the emergency department: a multicentre, randomised, equivalence and non-inferiority trial’ Med J Aust.2017; 206 (11): 494-499.
