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There is a surprisingly large percentage of patients who visit and re-visit a doctor and/or clinic without ever getting a specific diagnosis of their medical problem.  Some physicians refer to them as having ‘mystery symptoms’ that are difficult or impossible to treat because the source of the symptoms is unknown.  The cost that accrues with these undiagnosed symptoms is about twice that of treatment for a specific, diagnosed medical problem.

A new study published in the British Journal of General Practice suggests that acupuncture can help a lot of those undiagnosed sufferers.  The study, carried out by a team at the University of Exeter, involved 80 patients with varying symptoms including muscular/skeletal ailments, chronic pain, fatigue and emotional problems.

Researchers divided the patients into two groups, with one receiving 12 five-element acupuncture treatments over a period of 26 weeks; the control group received none.  Almost 60% of acupuncture patients reported a significant improvement and a sense of increased well-being.  After that 26-week trial, the control group was treated in the same way, with the same results.

In the three months prior to beginning the study, the 80 patients had made a total of nearly 280 visits to a hospital, clinic or other non-NHS health facility, all of which resulted in little or no relief from their symptoms.  The researchers concluded that the addition of acupuncture to conventional treatments is a viable and effective option for patients who do not find relief with other methods of treatment.

The difference, as proponents have pointed out, may lie in the fact that this Eastern medical practice emphasizes the treatment of ‘the whole person’ as opposed to just the symptoms reported.  In any case, says the trial manager Charlotte Paterson, the next step is a study of cost-effectiveness as it relates to the NHS.