(British Medical Journal) -- Acupuncture is a relatively safe form of treatment in the hands of a competent practitioner, conclude two reports in this week's BMJ. Being the first studies in the United Kingdom to systematically examine both the rate and nature of adverse effects of acupuncture, they provide important evidence on public health and safety of acupuncture.

In the first study, 78 doctors and physiotherapists who performed acupuncture recorded any adverse events that occurred between June 1998 and February 2000. They reported no serious adverse events and 671 minor adverse events per 10,000 acupuncture consultations. These rates are classified as minimal, however, 14 per 10,000 of these minor events were reported as significant.

Some avoidable adverse events occurred, and acupuncturists might consider modifying their practice to reduce the incidence of such events, conclude the authors.

In the second study, 574 members of the British Acupuncture Council participated in a postal audit of treatments undertaken during a four week period in 2000. No serious adverse events were reported after 34,407 acupuncture treatments. Comparison of this adverse event rate with those of drugs routinely prescribed in primary care suggests that acupuncture is a relatively safe form of treatment, conclude the authors.

Despite some study limitations, the conclusion that, in skilled hands, acupuncture is one of the safer forms of medical intervention seems justified, writes Professor Charles Vincent in an accompanying editorial. Most encouragingly, these studies represent a serious and systematic attempt by acupuncture practitioners to address the issue of patient safety, he concludes.