This trial investigated the effects of acupuncture for high blood pressure, and in particular as an add-on to conventional hypertension management eg. medication and lifestyle measures. Forty-one volunteers were allocated randomly to receive either acupuncture or sham acupuncture; the latter is where the patient is touched in a way that leads them to believe a needle has been inserted, when it has in fact not. Those patients already on medication, continued to take it. After eight weeks, the sham group showed no significant change in blood pressure, whereas the acupuncture group showed a significant decrease, from an average 136.8/83.7 to 122.1/76.8 mmHg.
(Acupuncture, a promising adjunctive therapy for essential hypertension: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Neurol Res 2007;29 Suppl 1.)
A randomised, controlled trial in Germany studying acupuncture for arthritic joints, and involving 3633 patients, has found it to be of significant benefit in controlling the pain of hip and knee osteoarthritis. Partly as a result of this trial, the German Ministry of Health is considering a recommendation from a committee of doctors, that acupuncture be available under medical insurance.