Acupuncture Treatment Improves Low Back Pain in Older Adults

In a study funded by the National Institutes of health (NIH), Older Americans with chronic low back pain who underwent acupuncture had greater improvement in physical function and less pain than those who received usual medical care, generally prescribed medications or physical therapy. chronic low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects more than one-third of older adults in the U.S. While acupuncture has been found safe and effective for chronic low back pain in adults overall, few studies have focused on adults 65 and older.  The clinical trial, Backin/Action, enrolled 800 participants, men and women 65 and older with a history of low back pain for at least 3 months. All participants had health coverage and were not restricted from receiving standard medical care for their pain.  A third received up to 15 acupuncture treatments over three months, and another third received an additional six treatments over the following three months. At the six- month and 12- month assessment, both groups who received acupuncture reported greater reductions in pain disability than those who received usual medical care alone. The acupuncture-treated groups also had reduced pain intensity and greater physical function after 6 months compared to participants who did not receive acupuncture. Additionally, acupuncture was associated with fewer anxiety symptoms, and researchers observed few adverse effects.