Acupuncture is almost twice as effective as conventional therapy at treating low back pain, new study says. Over 1,100 patients with a history of chronic low back pain lasting on average 8 years took part in clinical trials. Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture was tested against the effects of sham acupuncture (placing needles in non-acupuncture points on the body) and conventional therapy (a combination of drugs, physical therapy and exercise). Patients received ten 30-minute acupuncture sessions, generally two times a week. After 6 months, the results showed that pain reduction was sustained for 48% in the acupuncture group, compared with 27% in the conventional therapy group.