Pain management is a crucial element of successfully overcoming illness and chronic discomfort. Acupuncture is a popular choice for many painful conditions, including back pain. This approach offers many benefits, and effectiveness is among the most appealing.
The holistic technique is natural, and there are no medications or harsh side effects. The process uses the body’s natural energy as a means of repair. This helps the patient heal naturally, but it may also have a powerful influence on the patient’s psyche as well. Along with acupuncture, other natural treatments may also be used, such as herbal therapy.
Benefits of Acupuncture
Pain relief is a glaring benefit of acupuncture, and others are equally as impressive.
• Reduced need for pain medication
• No side effects
• Improved circulation
• Decreased anxiety
• Mental clarity
• Faster recovery
Many people use the approach to treat mental conditions as well. Acupuncture has proved to be effective in helping people overcome addictions, relieve depression, and ease phobias. Additionally, many people find that it is an excellent method of stress relief. The connection between the mental and the physical realms is readily apparent in using acupuncture to treat back pain.
Reuters Acupuncture Study
ABC News explores a recent Reuters study that has determined that people with chronic low back pain showed improvement with real and with “fake” acupuncture treatments. The study separated participants into four groups:
• General acupuncture
• Individualized acupuncture treatment
• Pressure points without needles
• Medication and physical therapy without acupuncture
The results are interesting in that the people who received standard medical therapy for chronic back pain did not have as much relief as the other three groups, including the one that used pressure points without penetrating the skin.
The study, as noted by Web MD, makes a strong correlation between acupuncture and lower back pain relief. However, some seem to consider this to reflect negatively on the approach. While the promise for pain relief is real, some are a little disheartened by the fact that a “sham needle procedure” can be as effective as acupuncture.
Acupuncture and Lower Back Pain
The points of the body that acupuncture uses seem to have a strong impact on the individual, even when they are not penetrated with needles. This is exciting news for people who suffer from chronic lower back pain. The discomfort associated with this particular area of the body has a pronounced effect on other bodily systems. For those individuals, any relief is greatly appreciated.
It is important to note that the “sham” approach touched upon the same points of energy used in traditional acupuncture. This can be interpreted as the effectiveness of using the points, even on a shallow level. The body responds to the treatment, and even though no one knows why, there is little reason to forgo the effective approach to pain management.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the points to treat lower back pain with acupuncture are located at Liver 3, LI4, DU 26, Yao Tong Xue, and BL 40. Additionally, points B1 60, B1 58, B159, B1 36, BL 37, GB 30, GB 31, GB 34, GB 39, SI 3, and BL 62 can also be used to treat chronic lower back pain.
Along with acupuncture, in Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs are also often used to treat lower back pain. These herbs include Gan Jiang Ling Zhu Tang, Du Huo Ji Sheng Tank, Jia Wei Er Miao San, Jing Fang Bai Du San, Xiao Chai Hu Tang, and Huo Luo Xiao Ling Dan. In classic medical texts used for TCM, lower back pain is referred to as Lumbago, and acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs have been used to treat Lumbago for thousands of years successfully.
Anyone who has suffered from significant lower back pain knows how important it is to find effective relief from the intense discomfort. Acupuncture is natural and successful for many patients. Simply taking time to try the approach is the best way to determine whether acupuncture is right for you.
Sources: www.acufinder.com, www.umm.edu, www.chinesemedicinegem.com, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, www.tcm.health-info.org
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