Health Brief

ACUPRESSURE BETTER FOR LOW BACK PAIN THAN PHYSICAL THERAPY

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A study completed at the National Taiwan University in Taipei found Acupressure is a more effective treatment in reducing low back pain than conventional physical therapy.

A test group of 129 people, identified by researchers as suffering from chronic low pain, were recruited through an orthopedic clinic. Each received a standard disability questionnaire. 65 were assigned a standard physical therapy treatment regimen, and 64 received 6 Acupressure treatments over a one-month period.

Acupressure (pushing specific points with the fingertips to release tension and increase circulation) utilizes all of the same body points as Acupuncture. To keep the treatment consistent,  all of the subjects received treatment from the same therapist.

The study concluded that Acupressure gave patients better, longer-lasting relief for low back pain. An 89% reduction in disability was reported for the Acupressure group, who also scored better on measures of pain and had fewer days off from work or school.

Perhaps the most significant conclusion of this study was that when the patients were followed-up six months later, they still had the benefits of the Acupressure treatment.

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SOURCE: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplusinews/fullstory_30076.html