Acupuncture can be very effective when used to treat back pain.  Acupuncture needles are generally inserted into and around the back (para-spinal muscles) although they may be used in other places as well (e.g. the legs or hamstrings, as leg myscles relate to the lower back).

Of course, as an Osteopath, I frequently also use both Osteopathy together with Acupuncture withing the same treatment (there is no additional fee for this) and I find that this often gives excellent results - far less pain - and a much faster recovery time.

There is frequently a relationship between back pain and posture, and as an Osteopath, I frequently address this during Osteopathic treatment. However, there are also triggers to back pain, and this is often 'injury' such as lifting something heavy (for example a heavy 'deadlift' at the gym, or even perhaps just lifting a child into a car seat, as lifting and twisting is not a good combination). These types of injury usually qualify for ACC (this means that the Osteopathic/Acupuncture treatment you receive is partly subsided, and therefore cheaper.  Please see my Fees page for more about this.)

At the time of writing this, Acupuncturists still cannot lodge a new ACC claim (such as lifting a child, or falling, or collision during Rugby, Netball, etc) but as an Osteopath, I can do this.  An Acupuncturist can be an ACC provider (and most are) with an existing ACC claim -  but Acupuncturists cannot currently lodge new ACC claims   -   whereas Osteopaths (together with GPs, physiotherapists, and chiropractors) can do this.

ACC Acupuncture treatment is also limited to 12 treatments -  to be used with 12 weeks from the date of the first treatment.  (All other Physical Therapies, Osteopathy, Chiropractic, and Physiotherapy) are not limited in this way.  The number of ACC treatments can exceed 12 (if required) and it is also possible to extend a claim (usually over the phone) to extend the number of treatments, or extend the treatment period beyond one year, from the date of the first treatment.  However, Acupuncture ACC treatment is curtailed to only 12 treatments, as explained above.  (Of course, as an Osteopath, I can exceed these 12 treatments, and three month limit.  Western Medical Acupuncture is included within my scope of practice as an Osteopath - and for practical purposes (e.g. treating back pain) this is effectively all Acupuncture.

Of course, there are ways of viewing back pain from a Traditional Chinese Medical  perspective, and these might include the Traditional Chinese Medical paradigms such as 'excess and deficinency', 'qi stagnation', 'deficiency of qi and blood', 'internal cold', 'excess above, deficinency below', and so on. In general, any pain, anywhere in the body - will involve some degree of 'qi stagnation'.   In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) a relative balance between 'yin and yang' is essential for good health - and any imbalance will result in a degree of pain and symptoms. And, back pain is no exception to this.

 

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