Acupuncture for Back Pain

Acupuncture for back pain can help with pain relief and management.

Over 3 million Australians have back pain.  Back pain is most prevalent in people aged from 65 to 79 and the incidence of back pain is about the same for both men and women.

One thing for sure, back pain affects a lot of people.

Causes of Back Pain

Back pain is generally caused by either spine-related problems or through injuries.

• Herniated or slipped discs – the soft tissue between your discs has popped out putting pressure on nerves resulting in pain.  This is most commonly due to wear and tear.
• Degenerative discs – the soft tissue between the discs wears down to bone rubbing on bone.
• Spinal stenosis – your spinal canal has narrowed putting pressure on your nerves.
• Pinched nerve – usually caused by a herniated disc or a bone spur.
• Arthritis – this weakens your joints and ligaments and can cause a disc to move forward over a vertebra.
• Impact injuries from accidents or falls leading to muscle strain, tear and also bone fractures.
• Lifting injuries that cause microtears in the muscles and ligaments of the back.

Back Pain Symptoms

• Pain in the lower back, hips and buttocks.
• Referred pain down the leg sometimes to the foot.
• Numbness or tingling down the leg into the foot – sciatica.
• Pain is worse after periods of sitting or standing and often relieved by walking.
• Often ongoing.

Acupuncture for Back Pain

Acupuncture treatment can help with pain relief and management.

In my opinion acupuncture is one of the best treatments for back pain as it:

• can get in to where the problems really are.  Other therapies like massage can only work at a superficial muscular level.
• doesn’t just create a local healing affect in the area of pain.  It creates a global healing affect by reprogramming your body’s central nervous system to reduce the pain and start fixing the problem. It literally kick-starts your body’s natural healing process again – the process that has broken down.  It also reduces the need to take any pain killers or anti-inflammatories that can damage your stomach if you use them too long.
• has collateral benefits. Getting acupuncture brings a whole raft of other health benefits as well.  There’s usually improvements to some other health issues you may have and you’ll feel great and relaxed.
• requires no home exercises for you to forget to do or have no time to do.  You just have to lie there.
• can be combined with cupping therapy and also Chinese herbs if required for an improved result.

You can book an appointment here.

Evidence of how acupuncture can assist with pain relief and management is here.

*This service is provided free by our practitioners. There are no conditions and no other paid services subsidise these free appointments.