Southern medical journal
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From the data presented it appears that acupuncture helped in more than 50% of the patients by either completely or partially controlling pain from certain disorders. Patients helped by acupuncture received 8.55 treatments on the average, while patients not helped by acupuncture only received 4.75 treatments. There is difference between the male and female patients as to the response to acupuncture. ⋯ Patients with backache who had previously had laminectomy showed better response to acupuncture than patients who had had spinal fusion. It appears that good general health plays an important role in favorable response to acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture may be a valuable extension of a conventional pain clinic and an alternative in patients who are desperate to obtain relief from pain which they failed to obtain from other methods.