A 2021 Harvard Medical School study confirmed acupuncture’s benefit for back pain. Researchers based their findings on a comprehensive, evidence-based meta-analysis of multiple clinical trials. The research team’s findings are consistent with CDC Guidelines and the American College of Physicians, which state that acupuncture is a “first-line” medical treatment for low back pain.
What Is Chronic Low Back Pain
Low back pain, categorized as acute, subacute, or chronic, can be debilitating for many patients. Chronic low back pain is persistent, lasting more than 12 weeks. Conventional treatment for chronic low back pain includes both medication and non-medication options.
Acupuncture Best For Chronic Low Back Pain
First-line medication therapy involves the use of NSAIDs (Advil, Ibuprofen, Tylenol), then muscle relaxants, and finally anti-seizure drugs. Surgery is usually not recommended for chronic non-specific low back pain patients. According to the 2016 CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, acupuncture should be the first-line treatment for patients suffering from chronic low back pain. Many studies show promising results for acupuncture as an alternative treatment for low back pain.
Acupuncture Research On Back Pain
The meta-analysis we are reviewing evaluated numerous studies, including a 2020 clinical trial of over 550 patients with chronic lower back pain. That trial concluded that patients receiving acupuncture experienced a significant decrease in pain levels and had less disability.
Another section of the meta-analysis included three systematic reviews of 54 randomized controlled trials involving 26,270 patients. The investigators concluded that acupuncture produced superior results for chronic lower back pain than usual care, sham acupuncture, and no treatment.
Yet another study involved a patient group size of 2,100. The research was completed in 2020 and included clinical results over 36 years, from 1980 to 2016. Again, the researchers concluded that acupuncture was safe and effective for treating acute and chronic lower back pain.
Acupuncture Offers Comprehensive Treatment
Acupuncturists treat both the “root and symptom,” creating acupuncture treatment plans based on the exact needs of each patient. If a patient is experiencing severe low back pain, often the treatment is focused on pain relief. However, acupuncturists seek to resolve back pain’s underlying root cause (trigger) once pain levels decrease.
This acupuncture research on back pain reveals that treating the root produces lasting pain relief and reduces the recurrence of flare-ups. The fact that acupuncture includes multiple protocols for treatments is a strength. It reflects the incredible depth to treatment specificity based on years of clinical history and modern research.
Raleigh Acupuncture Back Pain Relief
We have been helping patients with low back pain since 2005. We have a 95% success rate in reducing pain and resolving pain entirely in many instances. As this acupuncture research on back pain suggests, we treat the pain first and then seek to address underlying root issues to help prevent recurrence in the future.
Each patient at Raleigh Acupuncture will get a customized treatment based on their needs – the type of injury, specific symptoms, duration of injury, and the quality and intensity of pain. For example, five patients with chronic low back pain may receive five unique treatments, reflecting their particular presentation and needs. This ability to customize treatments is one reason we have such a high success rate.
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Reference
Urits I, Wang JK, Yancey K, Mousa M, Jung JW, Berger AA, Shehata IM, Elhassan A, Kaye AD, Viswanath O. Acupuncture for the Management of Low Back Pain. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2021 Jan 14;25(1):2. doi: 10.1007/s11916-020-00919-y. PMID: 33443607.
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What our Clients are Saying
I came to Raleigh Acupuncture. After 1 treatment, my back felt better than it has in a year. I’ve had acupuncture before elsewhere and it has never been this effective.
I went in for a bulging disc in my back and a couple of days after the first treatment I had no pain in my back. Before treatment I had a constant dull pain in the middle of my back when at rest. The treatments were about a week apart and I completed 3 of them. It has been about 3 weeks since I have been and have a slight pain in my back but is nowhere near what it was before I started treatment. Before getting acupuncture I tried chiropractic and felt worse when I was done. For those that are skeptical like me, let me tell you that it works. I would definitely recommend Dr Mark in his ability to help with your pain.
I suffered from low back pain for years and tried many different remedies. When I came to Raleigh Acupuncture, they really listened to understand my issues. I can honestly say that they cured my chronic back pain. I didn’t think it was possible, after all these years. I highly recommend this practice. The doctors take the time and do good work.