A new study indicates both real and simulated acupuncture appear to provide greater relief of back pain than usual care methods.

Scientists from the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle compared four different types of treatment in a clinical trial involving 638 adults with chronic low back pain.

The acupuncture methods used in the study included an individually tailored program, standard therapy considered effective for back pain and a simulation involving toothpicks at key acupuncture points.

Meanwhile, one group of patients received usual care.

After eight weeks, 60 percent of the participants receiving any type of acupuncture experienced meaningful improvement in their level of functioning, compared with 39 percent of those receiving usual care.

After one year, 59 percent to 65 percent of those in the acupuncture groups experienced an improvement in function compared with 50 percent of the usual care group.

“For patients seeking a relatively safe and effective treatment for a condition for which conventional treatments are often ineffective, various methods of acupuncture point stimulation appear to be reasonable options,” the authors wrote in Archives of Internal Medicine.

They also stressed the added benefit of the reduction in long-term exposure to the potential adverse effects of medications.

Meanwhile, a recent study form the Mayo Clinic suggested chronic pain may also be related to inadequate levels of vitamin D, and those who are concerned about it may consider nutritional supplements.