Acupuncture Treatments Might Help Manage Your Lower Back Pain

If you've been having lower back pain, think about having an acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture can sometimes help with pain in your back and hip area. It's not painful to undergo, and you might get good results from it. Here's what you might expect with your first treatment. 

You'll Have An Evaluation

The acupuncturist will probably give you a thorough exam before starting. The exam may be quite different from what you get from your family doctor. The acupuncturist evaluates your whole body to pinpoint the cause of your energy block or imbalance. This helps them plan your treatment.

They should be able to tell you upfront how many treatments you might need. You could get results from a single acupuncture treatment, but taking several over a period of weeks could be most beneficial.

You Prepare For The Treatment By Relaxing

You may stretch out on a treatment table on your stomach. Just because your pain is in your lower back, that doesn't necessarily mean the acupuncturist will place needles in your back or only in your back. They may want to stimulate other energy points to bring about healing or pain relief.

You may or may not need to remove clothing depending on where the acupuncturist plans to insert the needles. It's a good idea to wear loose clothes so you can adjust them, but if necessary, you can remove your clothes and drape yourself with a towel or sheet.

Your acupuncturist may want you to relax as much as possible, so they may play soothing music during the treatment and make the treatment room as relaxing as possible.

The Acupuncturist Inserts Thin Needles

An acupuncture treatment sounds painful, but the needles are so thin that they don't cause much discomfort. You'll probably have several needles inserted and left in place for several minutes. The needles are placed in energy points. They may stimulate blood flow, relax tight muscles, reduce inflammation, and reduce pain.

It May Take A Few Days To Notice The Effects

You might notice results in the form of pain relief right away, but it's also common not to feel many results for a few days. It may take time for inflammation to go down and to benefit from increased circulation. You should notice cumulative effects from multiple treatment sessions.

Acupuncture may not be able to cure a condition such as osteoarthritis, but it might help you manage the pain so you don't have to take as much pain medication. In some cases, such as a sports injury, acupuncture may also help with healing so you can recover quicker from your injury.

Contact a local acupuncture service to learn more. 

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