Toothpicks match needles for acupuncture

Non-piercing pokes yield the same back pain relief as the skin-penetrating approach

A sham form of acupuncture using toothpicks that don’t penetrate the skin works as well as traditional needle acupuncture for relieving back pain, researchers report in the May 11 Archives of Internal Medicine. Both procedures outperformed non-acupuncture alternatives, such as medication alone.