Acupuncture, the traditional Chinese therapy, is used by almost half of British GPs but still does not count as mainstream medicine, says the British Medical Association.
An association survey found that 46 per cent of the 365 GPs who responded said they were sending patients for acupuncture or practising it themselves.
The association has found that acupuncture is effective against nausea and vomiting, especially after surgery, and valuable for treating back pain, toothache and migraine.
It is less clear that it works against osteoarthritis and neck pain or helps in recovery from a stroke, tension headache or joint dysfunction. It does not, the association says, help people stop smoking or lose weight.
Dr Richard Halvorsen, of the British Medical Acupuncture Society, says the survey "signifies a mind-change in attitudes to complementary medicine among doctors."
- INDEPENDENT
Doctors back acupuncture
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