I am very impressed by how well my patients respond to acupuncture treatments for lower back pain. It is gratifying to see that individuals who have had consistent chronic back pain for years report that they can finally reassume activities that they never thought possible.

Now, how well does acupuncture compare to other treatments available? A recent long term study was conducted by Germany in order to consider providing free Acupuncture in the main stream healthcare. The study compared Acupuncture to the use of drugs and other western treatments available for certain very common painful conditions such as lower back pain and migraine headaches. It was discovered to their surprise that Acupuncture for lower back pain rated more effective than any treatment available. Other recent studies have demonstrated that acupuncture provided long lasting pain relief. Also some individuals that participated in the treatments who were off of work were able to return to work during the short study period and significantly reduce their medication. In one specific study reported in the clinical journal of pain, a six month follow up showed that nearly all participants had maintained the improvements.

The positive note on the effectiveness of Acupuncture in major studies is that it has a curative rather than a mere pain relief role. It is also a very safe form of treatment.

In my experience, the treatment results are significantly improved by the combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques that are typically used to treat lower back pain. This includes first a proper Chinese Medicine diagnosis, Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Tui Na massage manipulations, heat therapy and sometimes liniment applications. Each treatment is performed specific to an individual’s condition and comfort level in order to insure effectiveness and safety. With improvements, exercises are also recommended as well as postural corrections in order to maximize healing and eliminate bad habits which are common missed roadblocks to recovery.

The reality is that most people have already attempted many treatment modalities and medication with no success or sometimes even caused them more pain. This simply should not be the case. For instance, many back pain sufferers have been given commonly excepted stretching exercises by their healthcare therapists that are just harmful for them. Very often ice is also prescribed to relief the nagging chronic pain, and this can be extremely counterproductive, causing more stiffness and pain in the long run.

The key to your successful rehabilitation is to place you on the correct path to recovery, with the treatments consistently readjusted as you change and improve. No two individuals are exactly alike, and such you are treated based on your constitution and condition.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture is definitely the golden standard in the treatment of back pain.

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