Acupuncture -- whether real or fake -- is more effective at relieving lower back pain than conventional methods, German researchers report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Their study found that almost half the patients treated with acupuncture felt relief after six months of treatment. And it mattered little whether the treatment was genuine and based on traditional Chinese medicine or not.

Dr. Michael Haake of the University of Regensburg in Germany looked at 1,162 patients who had experienced chronic low back pain for an average of eight years. They ruled out people with back pain caused by spinal fractures, tumours, scoliosis or pregnancy.

On third of the patients underwent twice a week 30-minute sessions of real acupuncture; another third received fake acupuncture; and the final third received conventional therapy.

The real acupuncture was based on Chinese medicine that targets traditional acupuncture points or meridians. In the fake acupuncture, the needles were not placed as deeply as the real thing and avoided meridian points. Those getting conventional therapy were prescribed a combination of medication, physical therapy and exercise.

After six months, patients were asked about their pain and functional ability. In the real acupuncture group, 47.6 per cent of patients said their condition improved. In the sham acupuncture group, 44.2 per cent did. In the conventional care group, 27.4 per cent described experiencing relief.

Those reporting relief from the acupuncture said the effects lasted long after they completed their treatment.

The study authors say their findings suggest an underlying mechanism inherent in acupuncture that may help to block pain signals or the processing of those signals.

It's also possible that the placebo effect could explain the findings, they note.

Whatever the reason, they say their study strongly suggests that acupuncture works.

"Acupuncture gives physicians a promising and effective treatment option for chronic low back pain, with few adverse effects or contraindications," the authors conclude.