Acupuncture ‘could treat pain in A&E’

ACUPUNCTURE could be a safe alternative to pain-relieving drugs for some patients arriving at accident and emergency departments, a study found.

Pain is one of the most common reasons for going to A&E, but there has been little research into whether acupuncture could be a useful treatment in these cases.

The 528 participants in the latest trial – one of the largest studies of acupuncture – were suffering from a migraine, acute lower back pain or ankle sprain.

Tests found the procedure, which inserts needles into certain points on the body, can be an effective alternative to pain- relieving drugs. But the trial, conducted in the A&E units of four Australian hospitals over two years, showed pain management remains a problem, with neither treatment giving immediate relief.

Researcher Professor Marc Cohen, of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said: ‘While acupuncture is widely used in community settings for treating pain, it is rarely used in hospital emergency departments. Emergency nurses and doctors need a variety of pain-relieving options … given the concerns around opioids. Our study has shown acupuncture is a viable alternative … especially beneficial for patients unable to take standard painrelieving drugs.’

But he said more research is needed into ways to deal with pain management.

The study, in the Medical Journal of Australia, gave patients acupuncture, drugs or both. An hour later, less than 40 per cent felt significant pain reduction. But 48 hours on, 82.8 per cent of acupuncture patients said they would be happy to repeat the treatment, compared with 80.8 per cent who had both and 78.2 per cent given drugs only.