Acupuncture 'aids arthritis pain'

Acupuncture greatly reduces pain and improves mobility in arthritis patients, scientists claimed today.

A total of 570 patients over the age of 50 with osteoarthritis of the knee took part in clinical trials to investigate the needle treatment.

By week 14 of the 26-week trial, at the University of Maryland in America, acupuncture patients saw a significant decrease in pain.

At the end of the trial, they showed a 40 per cent increase in mobility.

Researcher Dr Stephen Straus said: "For the first time, a clinical trial has shown that acupuncture reduces the pain of osteoarthritis."

He added: "These results show that acupuncture can serve as an effective addition to a standard regimen of care." Acupuncture, which originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, is based on the idea that energy flows along channels called meridians in body.

Practitioners say they block or stimulate these channels by inserting thin needles at precise points and manipulating them. A modern explanation for how acupuncture works is that it influences the body's electromagnetic fields.