Is Acupuncture Treatment Worth A Try
You dont have to suffer severe lower back pain every day. Acupuncture for lower back pain can help alleviate the problem. The treatment maintains balance energy flow in your body and has minimal side effects.
Are you suffering from chronic back pain? Have you tried different treatments and they’re not working? Schedule an appointment with us today. We’ll help you stop the back pain using Acupuncture.
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Diy Acupuncture For Back Pain Relief
Traditionally, acupuncture is carried out by a professional who, depending on the type of pain youre suffering with, inserts thin needles into specific acupuncture points across the body. However, you can create a similar effect for pain relief purposes by applying firm pressure to acupuncture points with your hand.
For even greater pain relief, you could also consider using a Paingone Pen. Research shows that this hand held, portable TENS machine is excellent for administering non-invasive acupuncture treatment via the five points outlined above.
However, if your back is particularly weak, or if you are suffering with chronic back pain, please do not apply pressure to any of the acupuncture points described, yourself. Instead, you should consult an expert or a doctor for specialist advice.
At Tower Health, we offer a wide range of pain management solutions and back pain treatment that can tackle arthritis and many other painful conditions.
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How Acupuncture Really Helps With Lower Back Pain According To Science
There are things that you can by yourself to relieve back pain.
Lower back pain can be due to a number of factors. Some of the time its due to something that can be avoided like extreme physical exertion or poor posture. Sometimes, the reason can be a lot more serious like spinal osteoarthritis and spondylosis.
Acupuncture works by providing pain relief and reducing inflammation. But perhaps the million-dollar question about acupuncture is:
Does it work?
I get asked that question a lot. And every time somebody pops that question, my answer remains the same: Yes, acupuncture works.
Here were some interesting studies done on acupuncture specifically for lower back pain.
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How To Get Acupuncture For Back Pain
If you want to try acupuncture for relief from back pain, you may want to talk to your regular doctor first. Make sure to discuss whether acupuncture would be best for you.
There is also the question of cost. A single session can range from about $60 to $130, and many health insurance plans do not cover it.
Before setting up an appointment, also make sure that you contact a professional licensed in your state. An acupuncturist should have proper training, licensing, and certification to administer safe treatments. Each state has a board of health that monitors and registers acupuncture practices.
There are ways to use the internet to find a qualified and certified acupuncturist in your area. One way is check the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine directory.
However, keep in mind that one acupuncture treatment does not provide a cure for back pain. While relief is reportedly successful, its likely youll need long-term treatment. Acupuncture commonly takes numerous treatments over time for the best outcome.
Even if your first session was successful, expect to schedule more appointments. Also, expect that pain can and does usually return. If it does, youll have to schedule another series of sessions.
Most people may invest in a weekly session until they experience improvement. Afterward, they start scheduling sessions further apart, such as every other week, then monthly.
Is Acupuncture An Effective Treatment For Back Pain
Multiple scientific studies have shown that acupuncture provides as good or better results than standard routine treatment. Other research has shown acupuncture to be a valuable complement to conventional solutions, allowing patients to curb their use of pain killers. Acupuncture has also been studied in terms of work-related back pain and has been shown to result in fewer work days lost.
The American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians released guidelines in 2007 recommending acupuncture as a possible non-pharmaceutical option for patients with chronic low-back pain where standard self-care measuressuch as heat, light stretching, and analgesicsare ineffective.
Acupuncture has also been studied and shown to be effective in treating other pain-related conditions, such as migraines, arthritis, and labor pain. Above all, acupuncture treats the patient rather than treating the disease, so the effectiveness of your course of acupuncture will depend in part on the causes behind the pain and whether acupuncture is effective at treating those issues.
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Acupuncture For Lower Back Pain Improved Quality Of Sleep And Pain Relief
A Swedish university hospital conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled study among 50 chronic low back pain patients. The patients randomly received manual acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and mock transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
Of the 34 patients who received acupuncture treatment, 16 felt a significant decrease in pain and experienced an improvement in quality of sleep, return to work, and analgesic intake.11.BH, C. . Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: a randomized placebo-controlled study with long-term follow-up. – PubMed – NCBI. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11783809 .×
Dr Jyoti Sharma Explains How You Can Benefit From The Art Of Acupuncture At Home
- Put your hands on your waist and find your spine. Come over on each side of your spine. You can either press the specified area with a thumb, or you could press the area with fingertips as well. Since you are standing, your feet are steady. The same procedure can be repeated by leaning the back slightly backwards.
- The next muscle to be addressed is in the middle of each buttock. Put your palms over there and press gently. It can also manage pain due to the sciatic nerve.
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- The next you have to go is going in the front region four -fingers under your belly-button. Press a little gently there, and you can experience a sort of connection with relieving your back pain. This technique also helps in relieving menstrual cramps.
- Sit on a stool. Take your fingers behind the leg and just below the knee and press your calf muscles gently. Remember not to be too hard while pressing.
Here is a tip, dont press directly on your spine!
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Four Pillars Of Chinese Medicine
- Looking at physical attributes such as the face, eyes, gait, and tongue is the first pillar. We examined the map of the tongue as it laid out the internal viscera and details of the tongue such as shape, color, texture, moisture, coating thickness and color, size of the papillae, and movement, as these features can be very revealing.
- Listening is a second pillar in the evaluation. The patients voice might offer evidence of a disturbance or irregular pattern.
- Palpation is the third pillar. For example, the pulse, like the tongue, presents a blueprint of a patients condition. The left and right side of the radial pulse is laid out into 3 sections : qi, guan, and cun. Each pair of organs can be recognized within each of these positions. Palpating the pulse is an extremely detailed task requiring complete focus to feel for the quality. The pulse has several attributes that serve as a window between the practitioner and the patient, including the depth, strength, consistency, and even the specific movement in which the blood travels through the vessel.
- Asking is the final pillar, which revolves around 10 essential questions that directly correlate to the patients overall being and constitution. These questions journey from the chief complaint and project to other life behaviors and inclinations that may encompass tendencies to be either hot or cold , sweating, gastrointestinal , sleep quality and quantity, emotional status, energy levels, and pain quality and consistency.
Is Acupuncture Backed By Science
Its not completely understood how acupuncture works. But, there are a few ways by which acupuncture is thought to work for back pain:
- Stimulates nervous system. Trigger points stimulated by acupuncture could release chemicals from the spinal cord, muscles, and brain. Some of these could be naturally pain-relieving.
- Releases opioid-like chemicals produced in the body. Along the same lines as the theory above, acupuncture may release pain-relieving chemicals. These naturally occur in the body and have similar properties to opioid pain relievers.
- Releases neurotransmitters. These are hormones that send messages regulating the on/off mechanisms of various nerve endings. Acupuncture may stimulate some that shut off pain.
- Triggers electromagnetic impulses in the body. These impulses can help speed the bodys way of handling pain, including the release of endorphins.
Regardless of how it works, trials on acupuncture for treating back pain show great results with very little risk of side effects.
Some 2012 research involved reviewing almost 20,000 people with chronic pain. They were given authentic acupuncture treatments, fake treatments, or no acupuncture at all. Those who received real acupuncture experienced 50 percent improvement in their chronic pain issues.
Two similar reviews from 2013 showed strong favor for acupuncture as successful therapy. These were specifically for chronic lower back pain.
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Acupoint: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Acupuncture was tested and compared with steroid pills for the hand and arm pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Researchers in Taiwan gave one group eight acupuncture treatments, over about a month, and those patients reported more relief, for a longer time, than the group taking medicine. While studies like this have been promising, more evidence is still needed to confirm that acupuncture is effective for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Are You Currently Suffering From Back Pain
Ready to find out if acupuncture treatment will provide you with the back pain relief you need to perform your everyday activities without experiencing further discomfort? Contact an acupuncture professional now and set up an appointment to learn more about this alternative therapy and obtain an individual treatment plan. Our office is happy to provide further information and answer any questions.
Are you considering acupuncture in the Ooltewah area? Get more information at .
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Benefits Of Acupuncture For Back Pain
Acupuncture has stood the test of time due in part to its effectiveness at alleviating pain, particularly in the muscles and joints throughout the body. Practitioners of the acupuncture method cite the following points as the major benefits of acupuncture specifically as it relates to alleviating back pain:
- Stimulation of the Central Nervous System Inserting the special acupuncture needles into trigger points is believed to release chemicals found in the spinal cord, muscles, and brain. These chemicals are identified to relieve pain.
- Pain-Relief Chemicals Are Produced in the Body Similarly, acupuncture fosters the bodys natural ability to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Activation or Release of Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters send signals to the brain to shut down the pain response caused by problems with the back. Acupuncture activates or releases several types of neurotransmitters.
- Electromagnetic Impulses Flow Through the Body In acupuncture theory, it is believed that electromagnetic impulses speed up the natural processes of healing and recovery, thereby eliminating back pain.
How Can Acupuncture Help My Lower Back Pain
30 Answers
Phavikone Sundara Mr. Anthony James Lorenzo Diana Abramachayeva Andrea Cillo Rebecca Flack Qisheng Guan Frank Zhao Jeannette Kerns Carolyn Shannon Sullivan Phranque Wright Ms. Ellen D. Leonard Natalie E. Ramsey Dr. Herbert Kwong yee Lau Livnat Hai-Choron Monica Edlauer Susan Elaine Friedrich Neilly A. Buckalew Abe Shahabelmolki ryan bishop Dr. Alexandre Yves Hillairet Kim Yoo lada komarova Michelle Lee Daisy Dong Huy Tran Dr. Carol Revak
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What Are The Risks
The chances that acupuncture will harm you are very low. Thatâs one of the reasons doctors say itâs OK to try it even though thereâs sometimes limited proof that it helps arthritis.
Make sure your practitioner uses new, sterile needles for each client, so thereâs a lower chance of infection. Some people bruise or feel sore later at the spot where the needles went in.
Some people should be more cautious before they get acupuncture. Ask your doctor about it if you:
What Are The Acupuncture Points For Back Pain
The acupuncture points for back pain that are mainly focused on by practitioners are
- Points on the hands
These points are responsible for maintaining a balance of the nervous system. Any hindrance caused during the flow of energy resulting in an improper imbalance could cause pain. Acupuncture for lower back pain is carried out by focusing the acupoints present at the lower back of your body.
The points present at the upper back of the body are also used as a remedy for various other aching problems, such as fibromyalgia, sciatica, temporomandibular joint disorder , etc. Acupuncture is also followed separately to get over with sciatica, by following acupuncture for back pain sciatica.
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So What Acupuncture Points Are Regularly Used To Help Lower Back Pain
Local points:
- L1 level: BL22 and BL51, GV5 and HTJJ on L1
- L2 level: BL23 and BL52, GV4 and HTJJ on L2
- L3 level: BL24 and HTJJ on L3
- L4 level: BL25, GV3 and HTJJ on L4
- L5 level: BL26 and HTJJ on L5
- S1 level: BL27 and BL31
- S2 level: BL28, BL53 and BL32
- S3 level: BL29 and BL33
- S4 level: BL30 and BL34
- Coccyx level: GV 2
- Gluteus Maximus & Piriformis: BL54
If pain extends down the leg from the back then other points into the leg should be used. Obviously this would be an awful lot of points to use in total. Generally, the principles when treating low back pain are to use between 4 to 6 bilateral pairs of bladder points locally in the most painful segments and also above and below this area. If there is leg pain then you should use a couple of distal points in the affected leg or legs.
Here is an example of what was used by Brinkhaus et al 4 bilateral points from the below selection:
- BL20-34, BL50-54, GB30, GV3, 4, 5, 6, HTTJs and shi qi zhui xia
- They could also choose 2 bilateral points distally from the section SI3, BL40, 60 and 62, KI3 and 7, GB31, 34 and 41, LV3 and GV12 and 20.
- They were allowed to choose some trigger points depending on the patient.
- Common trigger points are: in Gluteus medius, minimus and maximus, piriformis and quadratus lumborum.
Research On Massage Therapy
A July 2001 survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association found that the number of adults receiving massages from a massage therapist more than doubled since 1997.
Most healthcare providers are recognizing massage therapy as a legitimate aid for lower back pain and an effective adjunct to lower back treatments. Fifty-four percent of healthcare providers say they will encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy in addition to medical treatment.
Read more about Non-Surgical Treatments for Lower Back Pain
A study on massage and back pain conducted at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami in 2001 found that: “Massage lessened lower back pain, depression and anxiety, and improved sleep. The massage therapy group also showed improved range of motion and their serotonin and dopamine levels were higher.”
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Can Acupuncture Help In Treating Lower Back Pain
39 Answers
Elaine Wang Dr. Steve Sterling Jason Gill Zen Tuan Mrs. Izelle Cloete Rebecca Flack George Ku Dr. Hui Gao Rene Ng Snohomish Brown Huan-wen Jonathan Fang Seon Song Kim Yoo Dr. Herbert Kwong yee Lau Alvaro Porras toledo Pai Hsiang Peng Abe Shahabelmolki Jennifer Kolter Dr. Mehrdad Ghaffarian Miss Amy Rose Gendron Richard S. Mandell Natalie E. Ramsey Ms. Larissa Gay Stewart Caitria Thiele Ms. Ellen D. Leonard Zhen Hu Holly M. Green Phranque Wright Sarah E. Sanger Jeff Rippey Daisy Dong Young Suk Seo WenShuo Wu Rosemarie Allen Dr. Hongjie Zhu James Nicholas Georgiades Andrea Cillo Dr. Dongmei Liu Covyn Montemayor
How Many Sessions Of Acupuncture For Back Pain
The number of sessions to thoroughly cure back pain through acupuncture generally vary. In most of the conditions, it is mandatory to complete the whole series of a session to gain maximum benefit from the treatment. But eventually, it depends on the condition of the patient as well as the analysis of the practitioner.
It is advised to have 6 to 12 sessions to complete the treatment. These sessions can be taken once or twice a week, and their duration lasts for 30 to 90 minutes per session. Small problematic conditions could take lesser time and frequency to get cured. , And as in severe cases, multiple treatment sessions are required. For people with chronic conditions, these sessions are induced further, even after the completion of optimal achievement.
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