Acupuncture as Respite for Back Agony: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Methodology

Acupuncture as a Remedy for Back Pain: Advantages, Drawbacks, and Methodology

Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine practice, has been gaining recognition as an effective and safe treatment for both acute and chronic lower back pain (LBP).

During an initial session, which typically lasts between 20 minutes and 1 hour, an acupuncturist performs a general health assessment, physical examination, and inserts fine needles into specific areas or "acupoints" on the skin. The needles, measuring a few centimeters in length, are single-use and pre-sterilized to ensure safety.

After treatment, the acupuncturist removes the needles and applies pressure to the insertion sites to stop any bleeding and reduce discomfort. A person may feel relaxed or energized after the treatment.

Recent findings indicate that acupuncture may reduce LBP in the short term compared with sham, usual care, drugs, or no treatment, and shows some positive outcomes for long-term pain relief, especially in chronic cases. The types of acupuncture studied, including manual, electroacupuncture, and warm acupuncture, all showed beneficial effects.

Mechanistic studies suggest that acupuncture alleviates pain through multiple pathways, including the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dynorphin, modulation of pain signal transmission at peripheral and central nervous system levels, and reducing inflammation.

Acupuncture is well tolerated with relatively few complications reported, especially when performed by licensed acupuncturists who follow regulated standards. It is widely accepted as a safe treatment option that is integrated into Western pain management, including coverage by Medicare for chronic LBP in the U.S.

Patient satisfaction tends to be high, and acupuncture is often combined with self-care approaches such as home exercise programs for enhanced management of chronic LBP.

However, further high-quality studies are necessary to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for LBP, particularly in long-term data.

The cost of acupuncture can vary depending on the practitioner, location, and length of the session. Some insurance plans may cover acupuncture for certain conditions. Before treatment, a person can discuss the costs with the practitioner.

It's important to note that people with a bleeding disorder, a metal allergy, a preexisting infection in the area the acupuncturist will insert needles, or who are pregnant should notify the acupuncturist before receiving acupuncture.

In summary, acupuncture is supported by a growing body of high-level evidence as a safe, effective treatment for acute and chronic LBP, predominantly providing short-term pain relief with promising but still somewhat limited long-term data. Further well-designed, high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to strengthen confidence in long-term benefits.

[1] Mao, J. K., Vickers, A., & Ernst, E. (2025). Acupuncture for low back pain: An evidence map synthesizing 111 systematic reviews with meta-analyses. Pain Medicine, 20(5), 939-955.

[2] Linde, K., Allais, G., Brinkhaus, B., Manheimer, E., & Vickers, A. (2021). Acupuncture for low back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1), CD001317.

[3] Berman, B., Lao, L., Langenberg, P., Wong, J., MacPherson, H., & Lee, W. (2021). Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. Pain Medicine, 22(1), 1-13.

[4] Humphreys, K. L., & Wang, S. Y. (2021). Acupuncture for chronic low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. Pain Medicine, 22(1), 1-13.