I’m not a believer in woo of any kind, and particularly not a believer in non-western medicine, but I’m desperate. A friend has urged me to try acupuncture to relieve the constant ache in my lower back after as little as a few blocks of walking. Had anyone tried acupuncture for relieving back pain? With what results?
Also are there any qualities (credentials, qualifications) I should look for in a practitioner?
What’s the cause of this pain, I.E. what’s the doctor say?
Every doctor I’ve seen (PCP mainly) says that I’m old, I gotta expect a little back pain now and then, prescribes muscle relaxers, pain pills etc. which don’t do very much. From my own estimation, it’s not structural, just muscles that tighten up easily.
The only weird part is that I can walk in the pool for an hour or so, with only occasional need to stretch, and the other day I walked on the beach barefoot for about 20 minutes with no symptoms at all. But on solid ground, with sneakers and socks on, the back tightens up after 5 minutes.
IANAD, but here are my thoughts & opinions:
I am not a doctor either. I don’t know if acupuncture works (and certainly don’t understand how it could. I’m chiming in just to say a neurosurgeon I spoke to once (in general terms about Chrio and Acupuncture) said he’d never recommend either, but is a believer in good license massage therapists.
That sounds, to me, like a dismissal diagnosis. I’d want to see an orthopedist or something similar.
Also, after seeing this MRI of my spine,
a decade after my first MRI for my sciatica even I could see that it wasn’t just ‘I’m old, I gotta expect a little back pain now and then’!
You might just need to learn the special back stretches 'cause it is just muscles or it might be something else like my not having three disks any more.
Watch for low potassium.
I had some success with acupuncture for lower back pain (after two surgeries). Unfortunately I had to quit as the provider didn’t take my insurance.
If your insurance covers it, or you can afford it out of pocket, why not give it a try?
I wonder how many people who call acupuncture “woo” have actually tried it?
I agree with these points. The texts and charts of acupuncture say ‘stick the needles here and the patient will get better’. If you follow those texts and charts, minor pain relief and other effects are reported. If you just sick needles in randomly, you get the same result, If you stick needles in places the charts and texts say will make the patient worse, you get the same result.
No effect greater than placebo has ever been demonstrated.
When my back problems started last year (see my thread Ow! My Spine!), some friends recommended accupuncture and or a chiropractor. I poltely said I was not interested. Chiropractors are generally quacks. There have been recorded cases of them injuring and even killing their patients.
Can you provide any hard data (double blind studies and such) proving acupuncture has beneficial effects and is not just a placebo?
I cannot. Only personal anecdote. My advice was “why not give it a try?”
Would you turn down a placebo that made your back feel better?
So, based on all the data showing it to in fact be woo, I should try it anyway?
I should spend both time and money on something proven to be a placebo?
Plus, being a placebo there is no guarantee that after spending time and money I would actually feel better.
Placebo can cause adverse reactions. Not to mention if it keeps you from getting proper medical care.
I get enough sticks. No more for me. Anytime something passes through the skin barrier you can have opportunity for infections. Those little needle prick infections are the bain of my life.
Nope. Don’t need that.
The first doctor (a PCP) I saw said pretty much the same thing.
Then I went to see a specialist at a Spine & Sports Medicine clinic. Just by me describing the symptoms, he was able to give a likely diagnosis, borne out by simple office tests and then an MRI. I’d wasted a year not realizing there was an underlying cause that could be treated.
Go see a specialist. Muscles don’t tighten up after a few blocks of walking unless something physical is causing it - often a spinal nerve is being pinched due to aging (spinal compression and/or vertebral bone overgrowth due to arthritis, just like in hands).
Nerve compression is extremely common, and left untreated can cause permanent nerve damage. We had a thread recently where that’s exactly what happened to someone (although it may have been permanent nerve damage to his hand, but the point is the same).
Often a cortisone shot will help for many months. Please see a specialist so the pain doesn’t continue to impinge on your lifestyle.
Acupuncture didn’t help me at all, and in fact made it worse due to the position she had me lie in, but a neighbor swore by it.
I wonder how many people call acupuncture “woo” because they have read up on it and realize that the explanation for how it supposedly works is pure “woo”.
For the same reason I don’t eat the hearts of lions to become braver, or take shark cartilage tablets to prevent cancer. Does your local acupuncturist work for free, btw? While lessening the thickness of your billfold may help your back just a bit, it is only good for temporary relief.
I’ve had dry needling done but it was in my shoulders and face for muscular TMJD pain. The relief was temporary, I don’t see how it could be a long term solution.
I agree with those who say you need at least x-rays. Then they can see if it’s a disc problem or arthritis. If everything is hunky dory with the spine, they’ll probably send you to PT to strengthen your core. If that doesn’t give you relief they might then do an MRI to see if there’s nerve issues, or disc issues not seen on an x-ray. Or you might get an MRI right away!
I don’t think focusing on strengthening your back muscles is the way to go. Your abdominal strength plays a huge role in your lumbar health. So does posture. A physical therapist will work you through all of that. And, if it’s something more than just weak core muscles you definitely don’t want to go aggravating it further with back exercises.
See a different doc! Or demand your doc write you a referral!
I’ve had some success treating my lower backpain with acupuncture. It didn’t seem to treat the root cause of the pain but I did feel better for a week or two afterward. However at the time that’s all I was seeking some sort of temporary relief so I could perform some essential dities of my job.
To those who would credit the placebo effect to the relief I experienced I would say the placebo effect is going to be a factor regardless of whiich treatment you choose. Making an appointment to see a western doctor could very much have the same placebo effect as seeing an accupuncturist. Likewise the relief you experience after seeing an MD could also be temporary, especially once the muscle relaxers/pain killers wear off. An MD’s time is also much more expensive especially if you are seeing a specialist whose services are not covered by your insurer.
What helped my back pain was an infrared heating pad. I saw meaningful improvements within a couple days.
What sort of specialist?