Experience Back Pain Relief with Acupuncture

Anyone who has ever experienced back pain knows how potentially excruciating it can be. At best you’re laid up for a day or two and can resume most of your normal daily activities after resting, applying a cold pack, or a heating pad. At worst, perhaps due to an injury, you’re experiencing chronic discomfort or pain that is interfering with your ability to function, to work, or to take care of yourself or your family.

The pain, combined with the inability to function as you would like to, could also lead to feelings of frustration, depression, and anxiety. So it’s important that any treatment you seek for your back pain addresses not only the physical aspects of your pain, but the emotional effects as well.

While back pain is the most common reason for people to seek medical treatment, more people are turning to acupuncture to relieve both short term and chronic back pain issues. Not only does acupuncture effectively treat the physical symptoms relating to back pain but it also attends to the emotional aspects as well, promoting an overall sense of well-being. There is also increasing evidence that acupuncture and its related Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies are safer than many conventional treatments for back pain.

How Acupuncture Helps Relieve Back Pain

Your acupuncturist will apply thin sterile needles to the affected and related areas of your body, to set various healing responses throughout the body in motion. For example, blood flow to the area is increased and inflammation is reduced. Acupuncture treatments also have a beneficial effect on your nervous system, creating an overall relaxation response in your body, which can relieve tense back muscles and spasms. It also causes the brain to release pain-relieving chemicals which can decrease the soreness and discomfort in your back.

Though lower back pain is the most prevalent and the most commonly treated symptom, there are many different types of back pain such as pain caused by sciatica or herniated discs, for example, that can be effectively treated with acupuncture. Your acupuncturist will conduct a thorough assessment of your condition and create an effective course of treatment just for you. He or she may even incorporate Chinese herbal medicine to help manage your symptoms.

How Acupuncture Can Help Your Body Rest

We all know how important quality rest and sleep is for healing to take place. And when you’re experiencing discomfort and pain it’s often difficult to get the proper sleep you need. Acupuncture treatments have a direct effect on the body’s neuro-endocrine system activating the release of hormones that regulate sleep. That means you can get better quality sleep, which can allow your body to heal and rejuvenate. Plus, better quality sleep will improve your mood and reduce any anxiety.

Whether you’ve been dealing with occasional stiffness, soreness, or have had years of chronic back pain, take heart because pain relief is possible through acupuncture.