Washington : A recent study has shown that acupuncture - the Chinese system using needles - alleviates pain and improves movement for elderly people suffering from arthritis in their knees.

"Arthritis is a major public health problem, and our study shows that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment," said brian Berman, director of the University of Maryland centre for integrative medicine, who led the federally-sponsored study of 570 elderly patients which was released recently.

Experts said the study demonstrated that mainstream science can validate some of the unconventional therapies that many Americans have begun using.