 Corresponding author: Maria I. Dalamagka Department of Anesthesia, General Hospital of Larisa, Greece. Copyright © 2022 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0. Pain control & acupuncture Maria I. Dalamagka * Department of Anesthesia, General Hospital of Larisa, Greece. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2022, 14(03), 602–607 Publication history: Received on 20 May 2022; revised on 23 June 2022; accepted on 25 June 2022 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2022.14.3.0625 Abstract Acupuncture is used mainly to relieve discomfort associated with a variety of diseases and pain conditions Over the years there has been substantial debate about whether acupuncture really works for chronic pain. Research from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. Despite wide use in clinical practice, acupuncture remains a controversial treatment for chronic pain. Referral for a course of acupuncture treatment is a reasonable option for a patient with chronic pain. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment of chronic pain, within the context of the methodological quality of the studies. Complementary medicine databases, bibliographies and articles were searched. Our objective was to determine the effect size of acupuncture for chronic pain conditions. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials randomized trial. We included randomized trials of acupuncture needling versus either sham acupuncture or no acupuncture control. We conclude that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain, with treatment effects persisting over time. Keywords: Acupuncture; Chronic pain; Chinese medicine; Back pain 1. Introduction Acupuncture is commonly used to treat pain. In traditional Chinese medicine concepts Meridian and vital energy Qi are part of the theoretical basis for the application of acupuncture in strictly specific acupoints. These studies demonstrate that the penetration of a needle through the skin, either acupuncturists point or not having physiological activities. The gate control theory, and the release of endogenous opioids have been proposed as the causative mechanisms leading to obvious analgesic effect of acupuncture [1]. Back pain is a common condition that leads to a weakening and disability with an estimated prevalence length at a rate of 70-85% [2]. The non-specific back pain represents the majority of cases. Although 90% of patients show improvement at 1 month, the majority continues to be symptomatic for 1 year, with a rate of 21 to 25% on terms of pain and disability. In summary, the back pain is among the costliest diseases in the UK, which according to the findings in other countries, leading to a total cost of £ 10,668 million. (Including direct healthcare costs and indirect costs, such informal care and lost productivity) [3]. The Royal College of General Physicians suggests that back pain should be transferred from secondary to primary care and the goal should be a rapid return to normal functionality. There is intense debate how to achieve a return to normal activities. Meanwhile, the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has proven that acupuncture is a powerful treatment, which is associated with a clinically significant improvement in back pain. Two recent randomized controlled trials have evaluated the economic costs, one in the UK and one in Germany, show that acupuncture is relatively cost-effective in terms of quality of life for low back pain. These considerations seem to have translated into action, as a growing number of physicians in England offer their patients access to acupuncture. In addition, public health has a strong interest in the use of acupuncture, for example, a recent