A number of recent research studies have concluded that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic low back pain. There has been a great deal of low back pain acupuncture research over the past 10 years which point to acupuncture being a superior treatment.
Back Pain Acupuncture Research
The first study, performed at the Dongzhimen Hospital in Beijing, China, focused on low back pain in relation to sick days. It was a randomized, controlled trial with a group of 60 participants. Acupuncture significantly reduced patient pain levels and missed days from work due to low back pain.
The second study included 236 patients suffering from low back pain. This research was published in the Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain. Patients received 14 acupuncture treatments over a 4 week period. The trial was randomized. Researchers concluded that acupuncture had “beneficial and persistent effectiveness against chronic low back pain.”
A third research study examined the benefits of distal acupuncture on low back pain. Distal acupuncture uses acupuncture points from areas that are not located in the affected area (low back). Patients received a single acupuncture point, Li4 (Hegu). 187 patients with chronic low back pain received 18 treatments at this one point over 7 weeks. As with the other studies, these patients demonstrated significant relief from low back pain.
This next study, entitled Acupuncture for Acute Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review, was a meta-analysis of 11 randomized-controlled trials. Researchers found that “current evidence is encouraging in that acupuncture may be more effective than medication….” They continued, “Compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture may more effectively improve symptoms of acute LBP (lower back pain).” The study control group received sham (fake) acupuncture to ensure the validity of the data.
A fifth study found that acupuncture was effective for the treatment of neck and lower back pain. Outcomes indicated that acupuncture was sometimes more effective than NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in reducing pain. Acupuncture was determined to be effective for both long and short-term pain relief of lumbar disc herniations and cervical disc related pain.
Good Results and Cost Effective
A research study in Calgary, Alberta examined whether acupuncture was a cost-effective treatment for low back pain. Not surprisingly, acupuncture was found to reduce total health costs. Group 1 included 201 acupuncture low back pain patients while Group 2 had 804 non-acupuncture low back pain patients. The two groups were compared for the number of medical visits required to treat low back pain.
The average patient age was 48 years. Group 1 looked at 1 year prior to receiving acupuncture versus 1 year after receiving it. Group 2 looked at the same time period and served as a control.
Group 1 (the acupuncture group) had 49% less doctor visits after receiving acupuncture. Group 2 (the non-acupuncture group) had a decrease of only 2%. In addition, the acupuncture patients spent 37% less money for treatment, compared to the non-acupuncture patients. The researchers concluded that low back pain patients were less likely to visit medical practitioners for low back pain after receiving acupuncture, thus reducing health care costs.
Conclusion
This is just a partial list of back pain acupuncture research that has been published in the past few years. Acupuncture has developed an established track record for relieving low back pain. This conclusion is supported by multiple clinical trials, laboratory experiments and meta-analyses.
Furthermore, acupuncture has been found to be one of the most cost-effective treatments for low back pain. Acupuncture is truly entering the mainstream for the treatment of acute and chronic pain.
Next Steps
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References:
Bahrami-Taghanaki, H., Y. Liu, H. Azizi, A. Khorsand, H. Esmaily, A. Bahrami, and Zhao B. Xiao. “A randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture for chronic low-back pain.” Alternative therapies in health and medicine 20, no. 3 (2014): 13.
Mingdong, Yun. Na, Xiong. Mingyang, Guo. Jun, Zhang. Defang, Liu. Yong, Luo. Lingling, Guo. Jiao, Yan. Acupuncture at the Back-Pain-Acupoints for Chronic Low Back Pain of Peacekeepers in Lebanon: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain. P 107-115, V 20.
Hegu Acupuncture for Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Mingdong Yun, Yongcong Shao, Yan Zhang, Sheng He, Na Xiong, Jun Zhang, Mingyang Guo, Defang Liu, Yong Luo, Lingling Guo, and Jiao Yan. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. February 2012, 18(2): 130-136. doi:10.1089/acm.2010.0779.
Acupuncture for Acute Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Lee, Jun-Hwan KMD, PhD; Choi, Tae-Young PhD; Lee, Myeong Soo PhD; Lee, Hyejung KMD, PhD; Shin, Byung-Cheul KMD, PhD; Lee, Hyangsook KMD, PhD. Clinical Journal of Pain:. POST AUTHOR CORRECTIONS, 6 August 2012.
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur. Volume 55, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 25–26. Reduced health resource use after acupuncture for low-back pain. S Moritza, MF Liub, B Rickhia, b, c, TJ Xua, P Paccagnana, H Quand. Participating institutions: Canadian Institute of Natural and Integrative Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
If you are intrigued by this back pain acupuncture research and want to find out more, navigate through our website. We have many articles and videos describing our back pain treatment.
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.