I have lower back pain and I’m wondering if acupuncture, chiropractic, or physical therapy is the best solution? I’ve tried massage but i’m ready to get treated by something stronger and hopefully more effective. My low back is really tight.
Dr Beth’s
Response:
Acupuncture is an effective method of treatment for lower back pain. In a 2009 study conducted by the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, acupuncture and eastern treatments for chronic back pain were compared with western methods such as physical therapy and pain medications. This study was funded by the National Institute of Health and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The study concluded that 60% of chronic back pain patients experienced “meaningful improvement” with acupuncture. Only 39% of study participants expressed this type of improvement with physical therapy or pain medication. Based on the result of this research, I would encourage you to try acupuncture treatment for your lower back pain.
WebMD has an excellent, easy to read article that summarizes the details of this study. You can read it yourself at: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20090511/acupuncture-may-ease-chronic-back-pain
How can Acupuncture help me? How does it work?
Dr Beth’s
Response:
With a proven history of over 6,000 years, Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine are the oldest and most commonly used medical practices in the world. The goal of acupuncture is to stir your body’s natural healing resources, so that you can begin healing from within. Tiny needles penetrate the skin, triggering a cascade of your body’s own natural endorphins and neurotransmitters, which stimulate the communication networks between your nerves, muscles, arteries, and internal organs. Acupuncture helps your body restore proper circulation, soothing painful areas and allowing nourishment to enter the body tissues in just the right amounts, controlled by your own nervous system.
More and more people are choosing Acupuncture because it works with the underlying causes of disease, rather than just treating symptoms. Herbs and dietary recommendations are often prescribed in conjunction with Acupuncture, and are specifically chosen to nourish deficiencies in the diet or to release excesses that have contributed to the disease pattern. Oriental medicine works in harmony with nature to restore balance within the mind, body and spirit. Instead of falling prey to degenerative processes, you can finally begin to thrive.