Electrical Acupuncture Beneficial in Older Patients With Chronic Low
Back Pain

medscape.com

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) May 13 - Percutaneous nerve stimulation
(PENS) via acupuncture needles reduces pain and disability in older
patients with chronic low back pain, based on results of a study
published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society.

In addition, mood, life control and physical performance are improved in
these patients.

Dr. Debra K. Weiner, of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
colleagues randomly assigned 34 patients at least 65 years of age with
chronic low back pain to receive PENS twice a week plus physical
therapy or sham PENS plus physical therapy for 6 weeks.

PENS involved the placement of acupuncture needles "at the appropriate
dermatomal, myotomal and sclerotomal levels," with electrical
stimulation at frequencies ranging from 2 to 200 Hz. Sham PENS used
needle placement without electrical stimulation.

The researchers assessed pain intensity and pain-related disability at
baseline, immediately following the 6-week intervention period, and
again 3 months later. They also examined secondary outcome
measures, including physical performance, psychosocial factors, and
cognitive function.

"The PENS plus physical therapy group displayed significant reductions
in pain-related disability from pre- to post-treatment (p = 0.002), but
the sham PENS plus physical therapy group did not," Dr. Weiner and
colleagues report. "The effect was maintained at the 3 month follow-
up."]

The PENS plus physical therapy group, but not the control group, also
showed significant improvements in psychosocial function, timed chair
rise, and lifting endurance.

The investigators say these preliminary findings indicate that PENS is
promising in this setting, but validation is needed before it could be
adopted in clinical practice.

J Am Geriatr Soc 2003;51:599-608.