Back pain is one of the most frequent reasons people see a doctor or miss work. Most back pain disappears on its own in a week to 10 day, but whether the pain lasts a short while or is chronic, you’ll want to find out if it’s something serious, and you’ll want relief.

What about Acupuncture?

As alternative medicine becomes more popular, many people are turning to acupuncture for pain relief.

The acupuncture treatment of the back involves inserting very fine needles through the skin of the back and other points on the body into areas known as acupuncture points. These points are found by the acupuncturist feeling for them – they are often tender – and by using charts which act a bit like a map of the body. Usually people in whom the points are tender get most benefit from acupuncture.

Some people have a fear of needles and may worry that a treatment like acupuncture is going to be painful. If you are like this then don’t be afraid. The acupuncture needles are very fine and very different to the needles a doctor uses for taking blood. Very often people say that it doesn’t feel like being jabbed with a needle at all. “More like a dull warmth” and “sort of a nice ache” are descriptions acupuncturists often hear used. This funny feeling is called the needling sensation and seems to be important to the success of the treatment.