Acupuncture
is more effective at treating back pain compared to the conventional therapies (e.g. painkillers, injections, heat therapy and massage), a study done by Dr Heinz Endres in the Germany's Ruhr University Bochum found. One theory behind this phenomenon is that pain messages to the brain can be blocked by competing stimuli.
More than 1,100 patients took part in the study. They were given either conventional therapy, acupuncture or a sham version.
Although needles were used in the sham therapy, they were not inserted as deeply as in standard acupuncture. Neither were they inserted at points thought key to producing a therapeutic effect, or manipulated and rotated once in position.
After six months 47% of patients in the acupuncture group reported a significant improvement in pain symptoms, compared to 44% in the sham group, and just 27% in the group who received conventional therapy.
No wonder my parents prefer the acupuncture therapy to the painkillers whenever they suffer the back pain. It seems their persistence is correct.
Source: Acupuncture 'best for back pain' @ BBC