Back Pain Glossary » Acupuncture

Acupuncture For Back Pain

Acupuncture is a treatment option for back pain or neck pain An increasing number of patients, as well as physicians and other health professionals use acupuncture as a means to achieve relief from back pain.

The theory is that two thousand energy points on the body connect with twenty pathways (meridians) that run through the length of the body. These pathways conduct what is called qi or chi (life force).  If one of these pathways is blocked then back pain or other kinds of pain can result.

During an acupuncture treatment session, anywhere from one to twenty metallic needles are inserted into the body. Some needles rest on the surface of the skin and others can be inserted from one to several inches into layers of muscle or fat. The acupuncture needles are often left in for approximately fifteen to thirty minutes.

The needles may also be occasionally jiggled or rotated by the acupuncturist to free up blocked energy. In certain instances, needles are warmed or electrically charged to facilitate the process. Some practitioners also practice moxibustion, which is the process of burning tiny amounts of an herb at the end of the needle to encourage negative energy to leave the body with the smoke..