Acupuncture is indeed an effective and safe way to help relieve acute and chronic back pain.
Lower back pain occurs in two forms:
Acute and chronic pain.
Acute pain mainly arises after an an injury such as pulling or twisting a gluteal muscle and can continue for months or even years. Thus, resulting from an acute injury, incorrect posture or some internal organic disorder. In cases of injury acupuncture for lower back pain is even more beneficial if applied immediately within 24 hours of the incident.
How Acupuncture Works
The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain, including endorphins, encephalin and other neurochemicals.
- Acupuncture accelerates the relay of electromagnetic signals in the body. Thus, the flow of pain-killing chemicals such as endorphins begin to flow. Furthermore, it may release immune system cells in the body.
- It triggers the release of natural opioids, which are chemicals in the brain that may lessen pain or promote sleep.
- Therapy with acupuncture changes brain chemistry by altering the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Neurotransmitters either stimulate or dampen nerve impulses. Neurohormones can affect the function or activity of an organ in the body.
All of these changes can bring about a normalizing effect on neuroendocrine (nerve and hormone) function. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.
References
Liu L, Skinner M, McDonough S, Mabire L, Baxter GD. Acupuncture for low back pain: an overview of systematic reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015.
Furlan AD, Yazdi F, Tsertsvadze A, Gross A, Van Tulder M, Santaguida L, Cherkin D, Gagnier J, Ammendolia C, Ansari MT, Ostermann T, Dryden T, Doucette S, Skidmore B, Daniel R, Tsouros S, Weeks L, Galipeau J. Complementary and alternative therapies for back pain II. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2010 Oct;(194):1-764.