Is Acupuncture Good for Sciatica and Back Pain?

Is Acupuncture Good For Sciatica And Back Pain? This Is A Question That Many Of Us Are Asking For A Very Good Reason.

Whenever you have severe back pain or sciatica, you always try to find the right way to eliminate any pain. So it’s quite common for a lot of patients to look into alternative solutions, and acupuncture is definitely something to focus on. But is acupuncture suitable for relieving any type of sciatica and back pain? Let’s find out!

What Triggers Sciatica Or Back Pain?

There is a multitude of triggers, and it depends on a multitude of factors. For some people, sciatica pain comes from age. This condition is very common for people that are 30-50 years old. The main reason is that spinal discs are not as flexible as you age, and you will have more issues like strains, tears, and so on. Also, as we age, we tend to have tighter muscles which can compress nerve tissues, causing pain.

Moreover, those extra pounds can also lead to back pain and sciatica. They add increased stress to the lower back and spinal discs, and that can eventually result in further pain. For some people, their occupation can also be a factor. If you end up lifting a lot of heavy loads or driving for a very long time, that has the potential to bring you sciatica and back pain.

The same thing can be said about prolonged sitting. If you have an office job and sit for many hours, it can place a lot of pressure on the back and increase the severity of your back pain and sciatica. In the long run, this pain can become unbearable, so you have to address it. The same can be said if you have a sedentary lifestyle which again includes a lot of sitting around. 

More obscure reasons could involve certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking. Smoking does is it reduces the oxygen supply to the spinal discs. In doing so, the spinal discs break down faster. Therefore, it is a good reason to quit smoking if you experience frequent back pain and sciatica pain. 

Why Is Acupuncture A Solution For Back Pain?

One of the advantages of ancient Chinese medicine is that it views the entire body as being interconnected. Chinese medicine believes that no part is separated from the other. Instead, the treatment and diagnosis are based on identifying imbalances in the body and the muscles and ligaments in particular. With acupuncture, you get to correct these imbalances naturally to eliminate back pain. 

The way acupuncture works is through the acupuncturist inserting thin needles into your skin’s top layer within special acupuncture points. Acupuncture is based on the idea that your energy becomes blocked, causing pain, and you need to stimulate certain acupuncture points in order to unblock it. With the help of acupuncture, you can restore this energy flow while eliminating any type of inflammation and pain. Acupuncture is very helpful for a variety of different health issues, especially if it involves pain.

Can You Use Acupuncture For Sciatica?

Yes, according to the National Library of Medicine, acupuncture can be an ideal treatment for sciatica. The main idea is to have acupuncture needles inserted in specific locations which address the pain of sciatica. Stimulating these points can help release the impinged sciatic nerve to alleviate your pain and discomfort. 

One of the first things that happen during a sciatica acupuncture session is that your body starts releasing endorphins. As soon as these endorphins are released, they start changing the way your body processes pain. What happens next is you experience immediate relief and over time, as you progress through your acupuncture treatment plan, you can achieve permanent relief.

As mentioned earlier, acupuncture will also reduce inflammation. Once acupuncture needles are inserted, any muscle tightness and swelling will subside which helps relieve the pressure on your sciatic nerve reducing pain. Acupuncture can also address many other types of nerve issues and discomfort which is also something to keep in mind. Additionally, acupuncture is great if you want to improve your blood flow. Many times, our blood flow is not ideal which can lead to various problems including pain. Acupuncture can boost your blood flow and promote healing. 

Lastly, acupuncture is very good if you want to help regenerate the sciatic nerve. Many times, sciatic pain comes from your nerves being damaged. That’s where numbness and tingling come in as well. This is why it’s very important to try out acupuncture since it has great healing properties. You will feel a lot better once you try acupuncture even if it might seem like a more challenging solution at first.

Why Should You Try Out Acupuncture For Sciatica Pain?

The advantage that comes from acupuncture is that it delivers pain relief without medication. Our first course of action whenever we encounter any pain is to take any medicine we can. But the truth is that medication does have its fair share of side effects, especially when it comes to the liver which is our largest internal detoxification organ by weight. Acupuncture though is not bringing any chemicals into your body. Instead, it offers a more natural way for you to ensure you avoid any back or sciatica pain while also keeping you safe from potential side effects that can sometimes arise.

Another important aspect is that acupuncture offers you long-lasting pain relief. You will find it extremely helpful and efficient especially if you want to avoid taking pain relief pills. The fact that acupuncture relief lasts for a long time is amazing and that’s exactly why you have to take it into consideration. The effects can last for weeks, sometimes even a month or more. Regular sessions may still be required depending on the severity of your issue but at least you have much longer pain relief times and  do not have to deal with any side effects from pills. Sciatic pain may also be eliminated completely if you follow the advice of your acupuncturist on diet and lifestyle modifications.

Moreover, the problem with pain medication is that it usually masks the symptoms. It does not address the issues that you actually want to deal with and that’s exactly why acupuncture is a much better option that actually promotes sciatic nerve healing. Treating your back pain or sciatica with acupuncture is better, certainly more efficient, and it conveys incredible results in the long term.

Can You Eliminate Back Pain With Acupuncture?

One of the functions of acupuncture is to help stimulate the nerves, muscles, and other tissues. With acupuncture-assisted endorphin release, your brain will start processing pain differently and that’s the ideal outcome you want. This will help eliminate your back pain naturally without resorting to medication or surgery. Since acupuncture helps promote the release of immunomodulatory and vascular factors, it has the potential to reduce inflammation more than you might expect leading to further pain relief. 

Another aspect that acupuncture can help with is to enhance the local microcirculation which aids in enhancing blood flow. This is great if you want to improve joint mobility and deal with any muscle stiffness that you may have. Acupuncture also helps enhance noradrenaline and serotonin levels naturally which can be a great way to reduce pain while also enhancing nerve function.

When Should You Try Acupuncture For Sciatica Pain?

The great benefit of acupuncture is that it’s not a treatment with adverse effects. It’s going to work and provide you with the necessary pain relief that you are looking for. The best part is that it can also address some of the underlying issues related to sciatica. It might even help you identify other issues that influence sciatica and back pain. These can be pelvic issues, spinal stenosis, or even disc degeneration. 

Ideally, you want to try out acupuncture as soon as you experience any back or sciatica pain. If you just ignore the pain, it will end up getting worse, and that’s the thing that you need to take into consideration. Sure, acupuncture might help in later stages, but you wouldn’t want to ignore any of the problems. Addressing any spinal and muscular pain quickly, especially sciatica and back pain, can really make a huge difference and help you prevent major issues down the line.

Acupuncture is known for being a highly promising treatment for sciatica relief. You can also complement acupuncture with other therapies like chiropractic care, massage, and Bowen therapy. But even by itself, acupuncture can be a great starting point on your way toward recovery and pain relief. As we mentioned earlier, the last thing you want to do is to ignore any back or sciatica pain. People tend to ignore pain, especially if they have a very busy schedule, but doing so may worsen their pain and lead to major issues in their quality of life.

Conclusion – Is Acupuncture Good For Sciatica And Back Pain? 

Acupuncture offers very fast results when treating sciatica and back pain. With its help you can finally eliminate spinal disc and sciatica nerve pain.

Chinese medicine has been relying on acupuncture throughout history and for a very good reason. It’s a simple process but it works and it all comes down to having the right practitioner.

The acupuncturist who is well versed in treating these conditions will identify the right needle insertion location and that will help you on your way towards recovery.

As we mentioned earlier, following your acupuncture treatment plan will be needed to keep sciatica and back pain under control. With that in mind, acupuncture is one of the top treatment methods to deal with back or sciatica pain and is certainly worth a try!

If you are in or near the area, please contact our Burnaby Acupuncture clinic so we can help alleviate your pain.