Acupuncture for Pain – Effective or a Sham?

Acupuncture for Pain is More Green than Medication

If you’re anything like I used to be, you might think that acupuncture is, well, “alternative”.

And of course, calling ancient medicinal technologies “alternative” keeps us thinking they’re different. Perhaps not reliable.

And then there’s the needles……

I’m not good with needles (I couldn’t have been a doctor or nurse or anything that involves needles – I close my eyes when I have a blood sample taken).

What about you?

But in fact, acupuncture isn’t really “out there” any more.

The World Health Organization (WHO) approves acupuncture for treating many conditions, including

• Arthritis
• Low Back pain
• Muscle pain
• Neck pain
• Sciatica pain
• Dental pain
• Headaches
• Migraines

Today, more than 3,000 physicians in the U.S. integrate acupuncture into their clinical practice.

Acupuncture is an ancient medical practice that has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. It treats many conditions, and today we’re going to look at acupuncture and pain.

Because of course acupuncture for pain is green and eco friendly when compared to chemical-based drugs and medication, and you don’t need to worry about having chemicals inside you from tablets.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture to manage persistent low back pain, chronic tension headaches, and migraine headaches.

So, let’s look at each of those three conditions in more detail.

Acupuncture for Pain #1 – Chronic Low Back Pain

According to WebMD,  almost 80 percent of Americans will have some type of back pain during their life.

Many patients opt for physical therapy and medication to control the pain.

But 22 clinical studies showed that sufferers reported a decrease in pain levels after acupuncture.

In fact, when acupuncture was compared to standard medical treatment for low back pain, acupuncture outperformed the standard therapy.

(Just be aware however, that the effects were not long-lasting).

These studies prompted the American College of Physicians  and the American Pain Society  to endorse acupuncture as an effective way of managing chronic low back pain.

Acupuncture for Pain #2 – Tension Headaches

A study in Germany evaluated 270 people with chronic tension headaches.

One third of the participants got a full course of acupuncture, others got “sham” or minimal acupuncture, in which needles were placed at non-acupuncture sites, and one third received no treatment at all. Participants received 16 thirty-minute sessions of acupuncture over 12 weeks.

Participants were 74% female, 26% male, with an average age of 43.

Interestingly, both acupuncture treatment groups reported pain relief – which lasted several months after the treatment stopped.

Those who received a full course of acupuncture had more than 7 fewer headache days per month, while those who received minimal acupuncture had 6.6 fewer headaches per month.

Those that got no treatment had more headaches per month at the end of the study.

Acupuncture for Pain #3 – Migraines

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal , looked at nearly 500 individuals who suffered from migraines.

Half the participants received traditional Chinese acupuncture, while the other half had “sham” treatment, in which the needles were placed in areas not associated with acupressure sites.

The participants did not know the type of treatment they were given. The study lasted one month.

When the study was completed, everyone had a reduction in migraines, even those that were given “sham” acupuncture.

The incidence of migraines went from an average of six migraines per month to an average of three migraines per month.

(Imagine reducing your migraines by HALF!).

After the treatments were over, the entire study group showed ongoing improvements in the intensity and frequency of migraine headaches, even when receiving no treatments.

It was interesting that again, even participants who received “sham” acupuncture had a reduction in pain – and in this study the difference between real and sham acupuncture was tiny.

(By the way, this study was mis-reported by several media, using headlines such as “Acupuncture little better than sham for migraine” – which of course would make you think acupuncture was useless, which wasn’t the case at all!)

Acupuncture and Pain

All of these conditions have one thing in common – they all deal with some aspect of pain.

From the studies shown above, it appears that acupuncture may be a good therapy to try if you suffer from lower back pain, headaches or migraines.

Do you use acupuncture for pain – or to treat anything else? If you haven’t used it before, would you do so? Let me know in the Comments below.

And spread the word about acupuncture as a possible green alternative to medication for back pain, headaches and migraines – quick sharing buttons below and right.

Warm regards