There are many causes that can provoke back pain, and we must differentiate between acute and chronic situations. Thus, an effort, a contusion or even a bad posture can lead to acute pain based on the affectation of the musculature which suffers a contracture due to alteration of the area.
At a chronic level, there are multiple etiologies that lead to pain: discopathies, osteoarthritis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, old vertebral fractures, rheumatologic pathology, etc.
In these cases, although there are various factors that produce pain, there is also an involvement of the musculature of the area as a result of the chronicity of the pathology or in the form of outbreaks due to aggravation of the underlying pathology secondary to some cause.
What treatment options are available to treat back pain?
Dr. Juan Chiang, a family physician specializing in back pain, indicates that there are various treatments to treat back pain based on the pathology that causes it and the degree of involvement of the patient.
Thus, disc disease can be treated surgically, if it is a hernia, depending on the degree of involvement it produces at the level of compression of the structures in the area. From the point of view of conservative treatments, there are several ranging from medical treatment (which can be intermittent or continuous) and which is generally based on analgesics and muscle relaxants, to infiltrations, physiotherapy and acupuncture, among others.
The doctor also reminds us of other preventive measures for back pain, such as:
- Taking care of our posture
- Doing exercises to strengthen the back muscles (back school, swimming, etc.).
All these treatments will depend on each patient and should be adjusted to the particular needs of each one. However, it should be remembered that in cases of back pathologies, conservative treatment is always attempted.
Can acupuncture relieve back pain?
The doctor reminds us that acupuncture does not eliminate the etiology of back pain, so it is a symptomatic treatment. In situations of contractures due to poor posture, acupuncture will prove to be an effective treatment because by eliminating the contracture we will be able to solve the problem.
In chronic pain, acupuncture can help to improve the patient’s symptoms, since the underlying cause is still present. In these cases what is sought is that the patient can cope in the best way their basic pathology and try to stabilize it as much as possible (it should be emphasized that conservative treatments are not mutually exclusive, but in many cases it helps that they are complementary, which must be assessed in each patient).
If the patient, within his chronicity, is found to be in a stable situation, it will be advisable to carry out maintenance sessions to avoid returning to the initial situation of the consultation.
The doctor reminds that as with any other treatment, before starting acupuncture, the patient should be assessed and informed of the benefits that can be expected in each particular case.
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture has different approaches (meridians, pain points, …) depending on the pathology and how you decide to treat. In the pathology that concerns us (back pain), it is a matter of puncturing on certain points at the level of the back to improve the painful symptoms (this improvement is based on relaxing the muscles in the area with the treatment performed).
The needles used in acupuncture are very fine, single-use needles, and they are generally used on the skin or on the muscle level if required. A small prick is felt when the needle is introduced, but once it is in place it should not bother.
Acupuncture sessions are usually once a week and usually last about 30 minutes. The number of sessions to be performed is variable and will depend on the patient, his clinic and of course its evolution (logically a chronic process of more time of evolution, will require more sessions than a punctual self-limited process).
Generally there are usually no side effects after treatment (in some cases mild symptoms are described as a feeling of dizziness that ceases in a short time), and although it is variable depending on the patient, the effect of treatment is usually more noticeable after 2-3 days, this being progressive as the sessions progress.
Finally, it should be added that acupuncture is one more medical technique (with its indications contemplated by the WHO) and therefore, the degree of improvement with it will vary according to the patient and his or her underlying pathology (as can occur with analgesic treatment, physiotherapy, etc.).