The results of therapeutic acupuncture in a pain clinic.

Acupuncture has been used to treat various conditions of chronic pain in a pain clinic. Six hundred and six acupuncture treatments were administered within the space of 12 months to 72 patients who had not responded well to conventional treatment. At completion of the acupuncture treatments 19 patients showed marked improvement, 20 showed improvement and 21 transient improvement. Long-term results were also investigated at a mean of four months after the final treatment. The results of this follow-up study showed marked improvement in 11 patients and improvement in 20 others. In terms of conditions treated, best responses were obtained in patients with musculo-skeletal disorders, degenerative or osteoarthritis and headache.