Lower back pain is a prevalent and severe condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It can drastically interrupt daily living, affecting mobility, sleep, and general health. While traditional treatments such as medication and physical therapy are often effective, many people seek alternative or complementary therapies to help them manage their pain. This is where acupuncture emerges as a natural treatment with promising results for lower back pain.
Acupuncture: A Time-Tested Approach to Lower Back Pain
Acupuncture, a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for generations to treat a variety of health issues, including lower back pain. It entails placing small, sterile needles into certain spots on the body’s surface that are thought to correlate to different organs and systems. Acupuncture is believed to stimulate the body’s natural healing response by:
- Acupuncture may change the release of pain-relieving neurotransmitters such as endorphins, resulting in reduced pain perception in the lower back.
- Acupoint stimulation may enhance circulation to the lower back, thereby facilitating healing and lowering inflammation.
- Restoring balance: Acupuncture, according to TCM, helps correct imbalances in the body’s “qi” (energy flow), restoring harmony and pain alleviation.
How Does Acupuncture Relieve Lower Back Pain?
But how does acupuncture help with back pain specifically? Acupuncture relieves back pain by targeting pressure points on the back of the body. Needles are put at numerous places, generally corresponding to the “energy centres” or meridians that influence physiological function. Acupuncture can target specific meridians in the lower back, such as:
- Hands
- Hips
- Lower back
- Feet
- Back of the knees
The needles are put into specific nerve clusters surrounding these locations, and they are supposed to help ease tension, pressure, and overall pain in the lower back. It is crucial to note that acupuncture uses other meridians to treat pain in other regions of the body. Each needle is targeted to a specific location, resulting in more localised treatment.
How does inserting needles in your body alleviate lower back pain? There are three basic hypotheses about how this helps:
- Neurotransmitter release: Acupuncture can help reduce pain by activating the various hormones that are released when the body detects needle entrance. Acupuncture, by manipulating nerve endings, can effectively deceive the body into shutting off areas, preventing the patient from feeling pain. It is vital to note that this treatment is only temporary because neurotransmitters regenerate over time. However, regular acupuncture treatments can assist the body’s natural ability to ignore or numb discomfort.
- Influence on the nervous system: The body reacts to pain in many ways. Because the needles used in acupuncture are not serious enough to elicit a full-fledged neural response from your body, they are supposed to influence the nervous system in alternative ways. One notion is that the trigger points or meridians utilised in acupuncture activate the nervous system, prompting its reaction to assist manage pain. Acupuncture may alter your brain by encouraging it to react to specific trigger points each time a needle is put, so your nervous system either compensates or concentrates on that location rather than the source of actual pain. Again, these benefits are just transient. However, it is conceivable to find relative short-term pain relief with repeated sessions.
- Chemical release: Finally, acupuncture may stimulate the body’s centres that release pain-relieving chemicals when wounded. Typically, these substances are only released during active or severe trauma, therefore they are not triggered in chronic pain. However, because needles have a widespread influence on the body, it is more likely to respond by releasing natural pain medications. While these pain medications are not as potent as opioids such as morphine, their compatibility with your body allows you to effectively condition their release through regular acupuncture treatments. However, it suffers from the same problem: while it is excellent for pain management, it may be less helpful for overall pain reduction in the long run. Even though the specific mechanics of acupuncture are not fully known, research on its impact on persons suffering from chronic pain is quite encouraging. While acupuncture is not a major therapeutic option, there is enough data to suggest that patients should explore it as an alternative technique of pain management.
Acupuncture Treatment for Lower Back Pain
- During acupuncture for lower back pain, a licenced acupuncturist will consult with you. Will ask about your medical history, symptoms, and general health.
- Evaluating your posture, range of motion, and pain points.
The acupuncturist will determine which acupoints to target based on your personal needs. - Thin, sterilised needles are inserted at specific acupoints along the back, legs, or other places based on your pain pattern.
- The needles are usually left in place for 15 to 30 minutes while you relax. You might feel warm or heavy around the acupoints.
Are you looking for an effective solution to handle lower back pain? At AcuSessions Acupuncture clinic for Pain Relief Treatment in Toronto, we can assist you. We provide personalised treatment regimens that include acupuncture to help you reduce pain, increase mobility, and get back to living your life.
To learn more and make an appointment, please visit our website or contact us here.
