Dr Brian Berman, University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore,
conducted one of the world’s longest and largest clinical trials to investigate
the efficacy of acupuncture in treating osteoarthritis. His team found
significantly reduced pain and improved mobility.

NCCAM director Dr Stephen Straus said: “For the first time, a clinical trial
with sufficient rigor, size, and duration has shown that acupuncture reduces the
pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee.”

“These results also indicate that acupuncture can serve as an effective addition
to a standard regimen of care and improve quality of life for knee
osteoarthritis sufferers. NCCAM has been building a portfolio of basic and
clinical research that is now revealing the power and promise of applying
stringent research methods to ancient practices like acupuncture.”

The study, ending in 2004, was funded by the National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and
Muscoloskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) treated a total of 570 patients aged
50 and older