Acupuncture and Your Back Pain: Does it Actually Work?

A few years ago, WebMD came out with a report from the National Institutes for Health conducted a study in which those with back pain could find direct relief with using acupuncture for treatment. This study also concluded that it was more effective than medications, and even more effective than physical therapy.

Before you try any sort of therapy, you should first pinpoint where your back pain is coming from and how it happened. In doing so, your future acupuncture specialist will be able to come up with a personalized point plan that will treat those particular areas. Perhaps you need to have a new mattress in a comfortable one, which you can find in the ones mentioned here, Tempur-Pedic LuxeBreeze Firm Review.

Whether mild or severe, you can begin receiving effective acupuncture treatment. Did you know that 80% of people will suffer from some sort of back troubles in their life?

The rundown of this study:

There were 638 men and women that suffered from chronic lower back pain, and the study had them divided into four groups. These groups were categorized as:

• The first group received a customized treatment using acupuncture – specifically catered to their pain.
• The second group had a standard acupuncture treatment, in which everyone had the same points treated.
• The third group used a “faux” acupuncture method, a sham, if you will – simply using toothpicks that didn’t break the skin.
• The last group continued with conventional methods of physical therapy and medication.

After the results were received, it was found that those who were in the first three groups, even the faux method of acupuncture group, had much better results than those who used standard treatment. Around 60% of the acupuncture patients were able to see significant improvements, and were able to begin pursuing daily activities once again.

What about those that had the conventional treatment? Only 39% of those (of the 100% for conventional), had the same results as those who did the acupuncture treatment. In short, when using acupuncture methods, those who found success doubled in comparison to those who tried traditional treatments.

Does It Work Forever, Though?

While we won’t know just yet, it was said that after a year, more than 65% of those who received the acupuncture treatment were still improving and doing well, while only 50% of those with the conventional method were able to improve.

Even though there was a sham method in there, psychological treatment is a great way to suppress the daily pain patients had, without using anything at all. We don’t suggest using toothpicks to perform acupuncture on anyone, but it’s fascinating to see what someone’s brain can help their body accomplish.

Whether acupuncture acts as a pain suppressor, or an act of something psychological, if the pain can be minimized without the use of prescription drugs, the addiction epidemic can be reduced immensely by introducing non-prescription medication methods.

If you’re looking for an acupuncture facility or someone who can guide you in the right direction of reducing your back pain, contact Pro Motion Healthcare at 705-315-0111 to begin your healing journey today.