The Mechanism and Benefits of Acupuncture for Back Pain

Here’s some pretty terrifying statistics:

• Lower back pain is said to affect more than 600 million people around the world [1].

• Back pain is the #1 cause of disability around the world, and will be experienced at least once by nearly everyone.

• Chronic low back pain rates can range anywhere from 20 to 80% [2], with lifetime back pain prevalence rising as high as 84%.

Suffice it to say, back pain is not a problem any of us should take lightly. Even if we’re lucky enough that we haven’t experienced it, there’s a significant chance we will at some point in our lives.

There are many therapies utilized to treat back pain—from surgical interventions to medications, chiropractic care to massage—but in this article, we want to focus on just one: acupuncture.

We’ll take a closer look at what acupuncture is, what it does, how it may or may not work to manage pain, how effective it can be for back pain, what the science says about its efficacy, any risks and drawbacks, and more.

By the end of this post, you’ll have a much clearer idea whether or not acupuncture for back pain is an option you should consider exploring.

Acupuncture for Back Pain: Everything You Need to Know

What is Acupuncture and How Does it Work?

Acupuncture is a pain-relieving alternative therapy first introduced by Traditional Chinese Medicine, but which has gained a great deal of popularity in the West in recent years.

To put it simply, acupuncture involves the insertion of needles into very specific points on your body. The very thin needles are inserted on “meridians”, the pathways through which energy (chi, qi, or chee) flow all through your body. The goal of using the needles is to remove any “blocks” that could be preventing the healthy flow of that energy, which may be causing the pain.

While this may sound a bit too “out there” for some people, there’s enough scientific evidence to prove that these insertion points are typically places that are highly effective to stimulate connective, muscle, and nerve tissue. The stimulation of these tissues is believed to trigger the release of pain-killing compounds in your body, leading to the pain reduction.

What Does the Science Say?

It’s believed that acupuncture works to combat pain—including back pain—through a number of possible mechanisms:

• Triggering electromagnetic impulses. These impulses can trigger the release of endorphins, which are your body’s natural painkillers. It may also trigger other pain-relieving internal mechanisms (see below).

• Release opioid-like chemicals. Your body naturally produces certain chemicals that are similar in nature to opioids (like morphine or hydrocodone). When the “trigger points” in your body are stimulated by the insertion of the acupuncture needles, it could cause your body to ramp up production of these chemicals as a means of combating pain.

• Stimulate your nervous system. If the needles are inserted in the right spots along your nervous system (such as your spine, nerve clusters, etc.), it could cause your central nervous system to release pain-relieving chemicals or neurotransmitter hormones that switch on/shut off the pain-sensing mechanisms in your nerve endings.

Let’s be clear: science doesn’t exactly understand how acupuncture works to relieve and reduce pain. All of these methods are hypothesized because there hasn’t been any conclusive evidence to point to one or multiple specific effects of acupuncture.

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However, there is a lot of evidence to prove that acupuncture is an effective alternative therapy!

One meta-analysis examining data from nearly 18,000 patients [3] found that those who received a “real” acupuncture treatment experienced significantly greater (50%) pain relief than those who experienced a “placebo” acupuncture treatment. This wasn’t just for back pain, either, but involved a wide variety of pains, including neck pain, chronic headaches, and osteoarthritis.

Another meta-analysis of 11 studies [4] proved conclusively that acupuncture did work to reduce back pain, and its effects were comparative to (or even greater than) pain-relieving medications. While it didn’t increase function or decrease disability, it did significantly reduce pain. Another study [5] found it on par with medications and direct electrical nerve stimulation treatment.

One case study from 2020 [6] showed significant improvements in a patient suffering from adult-onset scoliosis. The patient was unable to lie down without pain and was experiencing a great deal of fatigue as a result. After just “several” acupuncture sessions, she was able to walk without a cane and regained a great deal of her mobility along with experiencing a significant reduction in her pain.

Risks of Acupuncture for Back Pain

Acupuncture is not without its risks, but you’ll be glad to know those risks are fairly minor.

It’s considered a “safe procedure and therapy”, but only when you visit a professional certified therapist. There are a number of “sham acupuncturists” practicing without proper certification and oversight. These may incorrectly utilize the acupuncture techniques, which could lead to no positive effects—or, in some cases, a worsening of your pain.

However, when receiving acupuncture therapy from a certified and qualified professional, there are far fewer risks.

Some people experience minor bleeding, bruising, and/or soreness at the needle insertion site. This is a not-uncommon side effect, given that a needle is piercing your skin. However, you’ll be glad to know the problem should clear up fairly quickly, as the “wound” site is very small. Any bruising, discoloration, soreness, or bleeding should be gone within a few days. There is also very little risk of infection, with little to no threat to your long-term health.

There is a risk that certain types of acupuncture might stimulate labor or bring on delivery. For this reason, it’s recommended that pregnant women avoid acupuncture—or, if you’re pregnant, make sure to consult with your acupuncturist beforehand to be certain to avoid anything that could trigger early labor.

People suffering from bleeding disorders or taking blood thinners should be very wary of acupuncture. Though the needle insertion will cause only minor bleeding, in these cases, the bleeding could worsen or become serious.

Wrapping Up:

If you’re looking for a way to treat your lower back pain, acupuncture may be just the thing to try!

As you’ve seen above, there is very real scientific evidence backing it up as a potentially effective solution for combating lower back pain without the need for medication or surgical intervention.

There are plenty of other things you can try to naturally treat your back pain, including:

• Chiropractic care, which can help re-align your spinal column and combat inflammation and loosen tightness in the spinal muscles.

• Physical therapy, which may treat the source of the tension and pain as a result of muscular imbalances or insufficiencies.

• Massage therapy, which can loosen tight muscles, alleviate knots, and help your body to relax around the pain site.

In fact, combining these alternative therapies with acupuncture may lead to the best long-term results and fastest possible recovery from your back pain.

But, as the science proves, acupuncture could be just the thing to try to deal with back pain and restore the freedom of pain-free movement you need to get back to your activities of daily life.

Resources:

[1] www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/low-back-pain

[2] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538173/

[3] jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1357513

[4] journals.lww.com/clinicalpain/Abstract/2013/02000/Acupuncture_for_Acute_Low_Back_Pain__A_Systematic.12.aspx

[5] www.cfp.ca/content/66/3/186

[6] www.ucihealth.org/blog/2020/09/acupuncture-relieves-back-pain

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