Taipei: Acupressure, an ancient Chinese massage has been found more helpful in relieving lower back pain than most other treatments, a new study has discovered.

Researchers at the Ntional Taiwan University found that nearly 90 per cent of patients felt reduced discomfort after acupressure treatment. Backpain a common problem worldwide

The Taiwan study, published in the British Medical Journal, used 129 patients with chronic lower back pain who were already attending a specialist orthopaedic clinic. They were split into two groups with half receiving acupressure and the rest conventional physical therapy. The researchers assessed the patients immediately after their course of treatment had finished and again after six months.The patients in the acupressure group were found to have less disability due to back pain than the other group.

The researchers found that acupressure resulted in an 89 per cent reduction in disability – and the benefits were still evident at six months. They also saw improvementsin leg pain and ‘pain interfering-with normal work’, with a reduction in time taken off work as a result.

Professor Tony Hsui-Hsi Chen, University’s Institute of Preventive Medicine which led the research said: ‘This study shows that acupressure is more effective in alleviating low back pain than physical therapy.

‘The effect was not only seen in the short term, but lasted for six months. We hope that this technique-can be imparted to other therapists now that its efficacy has been shown in our study, so that acupressure can be used in other populations.’