American College of Physicians Recommends Acupuncture for Back Pain

American College of Physicians recommends acupuncture for back pain.

The American College of Physicians has developed a new guideline to present the evidence and provide clinical recommendations on non-invasive treatment of low back pain. The guideline is based on a systematic review of randomised, controlled trials and systematic reviews published up to April 2015, on non-invasive pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for lower back pain.

For chronic lower back pain, a strong recommendation is made to doctors and patients to initially try acupuncture among other treatments. Also recommended are exercise, tai chi and yoga.

(Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 4 April 2017.)