5 Ways Acupuncture can ease your back pain

Back pain is the number #1 reason that people five for seeking out Acupuncture and nearly 8 out of every 10 people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. If Chinese Medicine has proven to be an effective tool for relieving this issue for 2,500 years, it can help you, too.

Dr. Samantha Hodges, DAOM, L.Ac., CMT

Reason #1: Acupuncture provides pain relief without the harmful side effects of medication

It could be that you woke up one day and your back suddenly hurt. Or you injured it while enjoying your favorite sport. Or you had a bad fall and wrenched your back. For all of these conditions, acupuncture can help provide pain relief without any of the harmful side effects of medication, including grogginess, masking your symptoms, gastrointestinal problems, ulcers, kidney or liver damage, chemical dependency, and possible addiction if you’re taking a strong prescription.

Reason #2: Acupuncture offers a reduction in recovery time

Because acupuncture creates a flow of energy called Qi throughout your body’s pathways or meridians, stimulating these points with tiny, virtually painless acupuncture needles can reduce the recovery time of a back injury or back pain.

Furthermore, by stimulating your central nervous system, acupuncture may speed the relay of electromagnetic signals in your body, which can also increase recovery time.

In addition, acupuncture may trigger the release of pain-killing chemicals such as endorphins into your muscles, spinal chord and your brain, promoting a sense of well being. Or acupuncture may release immune system cells in your body, too.

Reason #3: Acupuncture reduces the chance of your condition becoming or remaining chronic

By using acupuncture to reduce your acute back pain, it can also reduce the chances of chronic back pain from occurring or re-occurring. Using acupuncture to ease and relieve back pain can also help you avoid the need for more invasive surgery.

Reason #4: Acupuncture allows a comprehensive and holistic diagnosis and treatment plan

I will start your treatment by taking care of your back, but will also look at the big picture and treat your whole body as well. In addition, I can recommend ways to make healthy lifestyle changes to prevent your back injury from occurring again.

Reason #5: Acupuncture is just one of many treatment forms

Most of my clients first seek my help with their back pain through acupuncture. But that’s just one of the tools in my arsenal, because I commonly offer what I affectionately call my “trifecta treatments” which include: acupuncture (with electric stimulation), Tui Na, and Cupping. Together they yield fabulous results!
When I can recommend selected Chinese herbs, I can most often achieve pain relief in one or two sessions, which may also help your mood and ability to sleep better.

image-how traditional chinese medicine works — How Traditional Chinese Medicine Works

Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture go hand-in-hand, or needle-in-hand, if you will. TCM focuses on a different system to diagnose conditions like back pain than western medicine does. A Mandarin phrase, “Bu Tong Zi Tong”, which means, “No movement [there] is pain”, or stagnation of any kind will result in pain.”
This means that too little exercise can cause your muscles to stagnate and result in back pain, hypertension, and other maladies. Conversely, exercising too much can also cause pain. TCM helps me see and understand your body’s yin-yang relationship. That’s why I use acupuncture to open up your body’s meridians and get your qi flowing, while Chinese herbs can help move your qi and blood internally.
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