Back pain is actually the most common reason individuals visit acupuncturists. The numbers continue to grow, because acupuncture is extremely effective for relieving back pain. People have enjoyed the benefits of acupuncture for thousands of years and research is now backing it up.

• Acupuncture Today cited a Swedish study that determined acupuncture is a “safe and effective procedure for low-back pain, and that it can maintain positive outcomes for periods of six months or longer without producing the negative side-effects that often accompany more traditional pain remedies.”

Participants who received acupuncture had “significant” improvement in pain, activity level, and quality of sleep when compared to those who received “sham” acupuncture. Most remarkably, the acupuncture groups dramatically decreased their intake of analgesics. Both traditional acupuncture and electroacupuncture worked long term.

• A study analysis conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine concluded that acupuncture can be more effective than standard treatments and resulted in significant pain relief. The analysis stated, “They found acupuncture provided definite pain relief in the short-term, and this pain relief appeared to be sustained over the longer term.”

• WebMD reported on a German study that investigated acupuncture treatment versus conventional treatment for lower back pain. Individuals who received acupuncture treatments not only reported less pain after six weeks of 30-minute sessions, but were also twice as likely than those prescribed to traditional care to have decreased pain and increased mobility six months after the treatments ended.

One of the researchers said, “Acupuncture represents a highly promising and effective treatment option for chronic back pain. Patients experienced not only reduced pain intensity, but also reported improvements in the disability that often results from back pain – and therefore in their quality of life.”

A key reason that acupuncture is becoming an attractive option for many people with back pain, is that there are no side effects and it’s relatively painless. Western treatments include medication, surgery, and steroid injections, all of which carry hefty risks. In addition, people who have not responded to medications have found that acupuncture for back pain can be more effective.