Could acupuncture keep the queues down?

ACUPUNCTURE could be a safe alternative to painrelieving drugs for some patients arriving at A&E departments, a study has found.

Pain is one of the most common reasons for going to A&E. The 528 participants in the trial – one of the largest of its kind – were suffering from migraine, acute back pain or ankle sprain.

Tests were conducted in the A&E units of four Australian hospitals over two years. Professor Marc Cohen, of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, said: ‘Emergency doctors need a variety of pain-relieving options. Our study has shown acupuncture is a viable alternative.’

Patients were given acupuncture, drugs or both. An hour later, fewer 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.