A Prospective, Randomised Control Trial of Acupuncture for Select Common Conditions Within the Emergency Department

A trial was conducted among patients admitted to the Emergency Department of The Northern Hospital, Epping, Melbourne, Australia to assess the potential of acupuncture to reduce waiting times, reduce pain and satisfy the desire of patients to see complementary medicine within mainstream healthcare. 45 patients were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group (32) and a conventional treatment group (13). Comparison of the physiological parameters following treatment revealed no significant differences between the two groups (Table 3). These results demonstrate that acupuncture and conventional treatment are equally effective to reduce pain, however the acupuncture group received a significantly higher rate of patient satisfaction with the treatment.