Acupuncture as a treatment for back pain

http://jhsacupuncture.co.uk/acupuncture-as-a-treatment-for-back-pain

Acupuncture as a treatment for back pain

Most people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives, it’s the UK’s leading cause of disability and one of the main reasons for work-related sickness absence in the UK affecting more than 1.1 million people in the UK, with 95% of patients suffering from problems affecting the lower back costing the NHS and community care services more than £1 billion each year*.

Most lower back pain is caused not by serious damage or disease, but by sprains, muscle strains, minor injuries, or a pinched or irritated nerve. It can also occur during pregnancy, or because of stress, viral infection or a kidney infection.

Can acupuncture can help?

Research has demonstrated that acupuncture is significantly better than no treatment and at least as good as (if not better than) standard medical care for back pain.  Acupuncture appears to be particularly useful as an addition to conventional care especially in  patients with more severe symptoms and for those wishing to avoid analgesic or pain management drugs. There is some evidece to suggest that it may help back pain in pregnancy and I have certainly seen evidence within my clinic to substantiate this.

Acupuncture can help back pain by:

• Providing pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord
• Reducing inflammation – by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors
• Improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility – by increasing local microcirculation, which aids dispersal of swelling and bruising.
• Reducing the use of medication for back complaints
• Providing a more cost-effective treatment over a longer period of time
• Improving the outcome when added to conventional treatments such as rehabilitation exercises
• The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on best practice now recommend that GPs offer a course of 10 sessions of acupuncture as a first line treatment for persistent, non-specific low back pain*

*National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline 88 – Low back pain.www.nice.org.uk/CG88

Here are some articles on this subject:

There was an interesting article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) regarding acupuncture for lower back pain, you can read the full article here.

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) – Effectiveness of acupuncture and standard care for pregnant women with lower back pain 

Acupuncture News March/April 2014

I thought I would start a monthly round up of Acupuncture News from around the world, or as much as I can find, so here it is:

http://jhsacupuncture.co.uk/acupuncture-news-april-2014

Chinese medicine could become available on the NHS

Jeremy Hunt indicates that health service may look at integrating traditional Chinese cures with Western medical techniques.  The Health Secretary indicated that the health service could look at integrating traditional Chinese medicines with Western medical techniques.

See the articles in the Telegraph and the Daily Mail

*Note:  Some observers suggest that using Chinese medicine could add to the pressure on endangered species and this is entirely correct, but there are herbal alternatives that does not use animal organs and these should be embraced by any herbal practitioner.  There is also a worry about impurities in herbal medicine and I can totally appreciate this, I have see the quality of some herbs that are offered in high street chains and some private clinics and I would not touch them with a barge pole.  This is why I practice 4 of the 5 branches of Chinese Medicine namely Acupuncture, Massage, Qi Gong and Tai Chi and I do not practice herbal remedies.  If you do take herbal remedies make sure your practitioner is properly qualified, regulated and insured.

Using traditional acupuncture to help manage diabetes

Source: Diabetes update
Date/Issue: Spring 2014

Using traditional acupuncture to help manage diabetes
Complementary therapies can support a patient in dealing with long-term conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Mark Bovey, Research Manager of the British Acupuncture Council, explains what acupuncture has to offer to someone with diabetes and shares the experiences of some patients who have benefited from this traditional practice.

See the full pdf article here

Tried and tested: acupuncture at The Seven Heavens Clinic, Finsbury Park

Source: wahanda
Date/Issue: 06 March 2014

Tried and tested: acupuncture at The Seven Heavens Clinic, Finsbury Park.  Prickly as it might sound, acupuncture is steadily becoming one of the most popular and talked about ways to relax the mind, body and soul, with a whopping 2.3 million acupuncture treatments carried out each year in the UK.

Read the full item on the wahanda website

Couch potato culture

New study by British Acupuncture Council shows risk in back pain epidemic caused by unhealthy habits and sedentary lifestyles

See the full article here

Well that’s the round up of all the news, hope your all well and happy

Jason