Acupuncture for Back Pain
Contributed by :Dr. Anjali Sharma
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Back pain is one of the top reasons people seek medical treatment. The good news is chronic low back pain is one of the conditions that research suggests acupuncture may be an effective tool for treating.
Acupuncture for back pain involves inserting very thin needles to various depths into strategic points on your body. The needles can stimulate the blood vessels and give the patient a quick remedy, The placing of the needles is not dedicated to just the back. There are the local needles, placed at the source of the aches, as well as distal, which are away from the aches. The distal needles can be equally if not more important than the local ones because it treats the acute pain. if someone has pain in their back, they may be getting needles in their feet, their ears or somewhere else distant from the actual site of the pain. The treatment may also include electricity and using suction cups on specific spots. There are many different forms of acupuncture. One form of acupuncture completed by one acupuncture therapists may be quite different than another, and any given practitioner may perform the acupuncture differently than another.
Benefits of acupuncture for back pain
- Acupuncture is used to improve blood circulation to the entire lumbar region and spinal cord.
- It relaxes paraspinal muscles and provides relief from muscle spasms.
- It releases the natural opioids. It may sound strange, but our brain can release certain chemicals that will lessen the pain we are feeling.
Thus, acupuncture can be extremely effective in reducing back pain symptoms. It is an ancient, time-tested form of therapy that seems to have exceptionally few side effects and appears to be safe for pain management.
