Acupuncture (acupuncture) - in its traditional form and new laser modification - does not significantly improve chronic knee pain or improve joint function, according to a new study published in JAMA..

Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body, supposedly helping to open channels for "

In modern Western acupuncture, needles are believed to stimulate nerve endings under the skin, causing the release of endorphins, biologically active substances with powerful analgesic effects..

Today, acupuncture is offered in a new modification, using a low-power laser..

Investigators compared outcomes between patients who received real acupuncture and controls who were simulated acupuncture with special non-penetrating needles not used in real acupuncture..

Despite the growing popularity of non-traditional therapies such as acupuncture, scientific studies have not yet demonstrated sufficiently reliable evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic knee pain..

A 2006 study of 1,007 patients with knee pain found that 53% of participants in the acupuncture group experienced relief after 26 weeks of treatment. The same was reported by 51% of the participants in the fake treatment group.. 29.1% of participants who received no treatment at all also reported reduced pain and improved joint function.

In 2010, another study published in the journal Arthritis Care \u0026 Research found that real and fake acupuncture gave almost the same results in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee..

In a new study from the University of Melbourne, Australia, 282 patients over 50 with chronic knee pain were divided into groups who received real acupuncture, fake acupuncture, laser acupuncture, sham laser acupuncture, or no treatment at all.. The study was blinded, meaning none of the participants knew if they were receiving real treatment or a sham..

There is no significant difference between acupuncture and sham.

After 12 weeks of the experiment, in groups that received real and fake traditional acupuncture, approximately the same percentage of participants noted an improvement in their condition and a decrease in joint pain.. There were fewer of these among people who did not receive any treatment.. However, 1 year after treatment, there was no improvement in well-being and joint function in any of the groups..

In terms of pain and mobility, the researchers found no significant difference between real and sham acupuncture.. Scientists also found no difference in secondary indicators, such as the quality of life of patients..

The authors of the study believe that the following factors may affect the outcome of treatment:.

•Mood for treatment.

• Patient's expectations and optimism.

•Doctor's confidence in success.

• Physician-Patient Interaction They concluded:

“In our study, the benefits of acupuncture were purely incidental, so there is no significant difference between active acupuncture and sham treatment.. Subjective outcomes, such as reports of reduced pain and improved mobility, were similar in both groups.. In patients over 50 years of age with moderate to severe chronic knee pain, neither laser nor conventional acupuncture has any effect on pain and joint function.. Our results do not support the use of acupuncture in these patients."

medbe. en.