text: "Emergency nurses and doctors need a variety of pain-relieving options when treating patients, given the concerns around opioids," the authors write.
  The study -- billed as the world's largest randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture in the emergency department -- included 528 patients. The study participants were seen at 4 Australian emergency departments for acute low back pain, migraines, or ankle sprains. Patients who said their level of pain was at least 4 on a 10-point scale received 1 of 3 treatments: acupuncture alone; acupuncture with pharmacotherapy; or pharmacotherapy alone.