Acupuncture at lower-leg points relieved acute kidney stone pain faster and more effectively than lornoxicam, with similarly low adverse effects.
This single-centre, randomised, double-blind parallel trial assigned adults with acute kidney stone pain to either acupuncture at two lower-leg points with saline injection or sham acupuncture with lornoxicam injection. Pain severity was assessed repeatedly during the first forty minutes after treatment, alongside time to pain relief, short-term treatment response, and adverse effects including nausea and dizziness.
Both acupuncture and lornoxicam safely reduced acute kidney stone pain. Acupuncture produced more rapid pain relief and lower pain scores after treatment than lornoxicam, while short-term effectiveness was favourable for acupuncture. Nausea and dizziness occurred at similar rates in both groups, indicating comparable tolerability.
