Acupuncture and Back Pain
Research carried out in 2002 indicated that almost 80% of the
world's population would suffer from some kind of back pain with
lower back pain being the most common type. In addition to the
high rate of incidence, back pain is also known to have a high
rate of recurrence in patients. With patients trying everything
from over the counter painkillers to physiotherapy to gain
relief from back pain, Acupuncture comes as a welcome change.
Acupuncture is a natural method of treatment that involves no
chemicals or surgery. Thin stainless steel needles are inserted
into the body at various acupuncture points to stimulate the
free flow of Chi or life force through the body. Free flowing
Chi results in a healthy and pain free body. Large bodies of
research have been able to establish a connection between
acupuncture and relief from back pain-especially sciatica.
Sciatica refers to a type of back pain in which the pain
radiates from the buttocks down the legs. Sometimes, sciatica
pain can also be a consequence of a muscle spasm impinging on
the sciatica nerve. Acupuncture can be effectively used to
alleviate muscle spasms. The results are almost immediate and
can provide relief within minutes.
Back pain is generally caused because muscles that are not
frequently exercised and stretched are suddenly put to excessive
use. Muscle spasms are common in such cases and result in the
individual feeling sore, stiff and a dull ache in the back.
Patients suffering from sciatica may even feel a tingling
sensation or numbness. This is generally due to the narrowing of
the disc space or a disc protrusion in the lumbar region.
Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire
lumbar region and spinal cord. It relaxes paraspinal muscles and
provides relief from muscle spasms. The increased blood flow
provides greater nourishment to the discs and increases the
elasticity and strengthens the spinal cord. Thus, acupuncture
a> can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It
is important to remember that different patients respond
differently to acupuncture sessions and it can take anywhere
between 4-12 sessions to really feel the difference.