04/28/2026
Acupuncture May Help Back Pain
Acupuncture therapy may help reduce lower-back pain. In a recent study, researchers randomly assigned 800 adults with chronic lower-back pain, age 65 or older, to either standard (8-15 sessions) or enhanced (12-19 sessions) acupuncture treatment or the usual medical care for 3 months. After 6 months, participants completed disability questionnaires. Thirty-nine percent of those in the standard and 44% of those in the enhanced acupuncture group reported improvement in pain-related disability. Only 29% of the usual-care group reported improvement. Experts say acupuncture may be a complementary treatment for lower-back pain management.