Acupuncture for Back Pain
Wondering if acupuncture could help your back pain?
The myBackPain assessment identifies your specific diagnosis — and tells you which treatment approaches, including acupuncture, have the best evidence for your presentation. Results in minutes.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles into specific points on the body. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and is increasingly integrated into Western musculoskeletal care. NICE guidelines include acupuncture as one treatment option for chronic primary pain, including chronic back pain.
How acupuncture works
The mechanisms of acupuncture are not fully understood but several are well-supported. Needle insertion triggers the release of endorphins and other natural pain-modulating substances. Stimulation of sensory nerve fibres modulates pain signal transmission in the spinal cord. fMRI studies show acupuncture produces changes in brain activity in pain-processing regions. Local needle insertion triggers a local response that may reduce muscle tension and improve local circulation.
What to expect
Where the evidence is strongest
The evidence for acupuncture is strongest for chronic back pain and pain reduction in sub-acute presentations. It is weaker for acute back pain, where other approaches such as manual therapy and guided movement tend to produce quicker results. Acupuncture is best understood as a component of an overall management plan rather than a standalone cure.
Find out which treatment is most appropriate for your specific back pain
The myBackPain assessment identifies the most likely cause of your pain — and guides you toward the treatment approaches with the best evidence for your specific presentation.