Acupuncture gets a conditional recommendation for the management of osteoarthritis, in the latest guidelines published by the American College of Rheumatology. The authors were satisfied that acupuncture can provide analgesia, but would like to see further high-quality studies conducted. They state “While the ‘true’ magnitude of effect is difficult to discern, the risk of harm is minor, resulting in the Voting Panel providing a conditional recommendation.”
Conditional recommendations also go to yoga, paracetamol and heat therapy. Tai chi and weight loss both get strong recommendations.