COMPARATIVE SAFETY STANDARDS IN ACUPUNCTURE AND IN CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL PRACTICE

A series of studies carried out in Europe on adverse events associated with acupuncture have reported no fatalities in over three million treatments.

Many acupuncture treatments in this country and the rest of Europe are carried out for musculo-skeletal pain. We can compare the safety of acupuncture for these health problems with the use of anti-inflammatory medication, which is the first-line conventional treatment approach for musculo-skeletal pain. The major side-effects associated with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen) affect the digestive system. In fact, one in 1,200 people taking NSAIDs for two months will die of gastrointestinal complications. This is an estimated 2,000 people per year in the UK.

So if somebody questions the safety of acupuncture treatment, this is a rather sobering reflection upon what exactly is the safest way to approach chronic pain issues.