One of the most common complaints we see in the acupuncture clinic is low back pain, often with sciatica. Low back pain can be due to a wide range of problems: Disk herniation or degeneration, myofascial trigger-points, and muscle spasms are common culprits. Acupuncture can relieve back pain tremendously. The World Health Organization has listed low back pain as a disease that acupuncture can successfully treat, and our results in the clinic reflect that.

What you can expect if you come for acupuncture for low back pain is a thorough intake, followed by a palpatory exam. While pressing on tender spots can be a little sore, it is generally not a particularly painful experience. Acupuncture treatments for low back pain are usually performed with the patient laying face down, though it is also common to have the patients lying on their side. The acupuncturist will select between 4-8 points to needle, and insertion on the back is sensationless. Usually, symptoms will be relieved significantly right there in the treatment, though it will often take more than one session to eradicate the problem entirely.

In addition to performing acupuncture, your practitioner may recommend various adjunctive therapies including heat application, exercises, and rest. For your benefit, here are five tips for helping to reduce your low back pain:

1)Choose heat over ice: Unless you are in the most acute phase of inflammation (i.e. within 24 hours of injury) you will have more sucess with heat therapy than with ice. Hot water bottles, heating pads, microwavable heat paoke, etc are all indicated.

2) Rest for the first week : Folks often try to "walk it off". This is not a good idea at first.  Rest is crucial to the healing process.  Get a doctor's note and take a load off.

3) Try meditation: There have been been very interesting studies done with mindfulness based pain management. Try this: Spend five minutes laying down, and breathing into the painful area. This can work wonders for relaxing a spasmed muscle.

4) Go to the doctor: Most chiropractors, acupuncturists etc. are going to want to rule out certain conditions, and having up to date x-rays, MRIs, and a doctor's diagnoses makes it easier to treat you.

5) Get treatment sooner than later: The more acute the problem, the quicker the results.  If we treat something that is well into the chronic stages, it takes longer to get results.

Acupuncture is a very useful therapy for low back pain. It can be used in conjuction with chiropractic, p.t., and massage, or it can be used as a stand-alone therapy. Good luck!