Acupuncture vs. Western Medical and Chiropractic for Back Pain

This is a short excerpt from Dr. Oz demonstrating a simple acupuncture and moxabustion treatment for back pain.  Back pain is the MOST common complaint that people seek acupuncture for and I promise you that any acupuncturist worth their salt is proficient at treating it!

The thing I like best about this video and why I posted it today, is because they do a brief consult with an MD and a Chiropractor before demonstrating the acupuncture treatment, so you get to hear together and compare the methods and recommendations of the MD, the Chiropractor and the Licensed Acupuncturist for treatment.

The MD option? Differential diagnosis (what type of pain is it? spasm, muscular, disc, bone, nerve, etc.), imaging, followed by physical therapy and or cortisone shots, pain medication, possible surgery.

The Chiropractic option?  Chiropractic adjustment, perhaps soft tissue (massage) work, and supplements

The Acupuncture option? Acupuncture + heat therapy (moxa in this case, though heat therapy isn't always recommended) for 30 minutes, possibly chinese bodywork therapy (massage) in addition.

Acupuncture for Back Pain in Portland, Oregon

Indeed, back pain is something I see week in and week out in my clinic.  I always use a combination of acupuncture and bodywork therapies to treat back pain, including cupping, gua sha and Tuina (chinese therapeutic massage) and sometimes heat therapy in the form of a TDP heat lamp depending on the case.

I usually recommend a course of 6 weekly treatments to start and then we reassess to see if further treatment is indicated or necessary.  Some people are better in 2 or 4 while others require 12 or more - it depends on the severity and acute or chronic nature of the pain, in addition to lifestyle, work and repetitive use factors.  All of these things are assessed repeatedly along the course of treatment to ensure that we are making the most progress possible at every stage, and that we are working towards a pain free state!

As someone who has suffered from back pain myself due to injury I know how debilitating it can be and I am well familiar with both the energetic and muscular structures of the back, hips and abdomen that interplay to create and sometimes sustain back pain without intervention.

If you're interested in booking or learning more, please go to my online schedule and book an appointment or free consult today!

~Rebecca