Do acupuncture fulfill its promise in the treatment of back pain?

Many people with chronic low back pain find acupuncture to be helpful. But the scientific evidence supporting these claims has been mixed, due to the fact that it can be difficult to put together a good form of acupuncture for comparison.

Acupuncture for back pain involves inserting very thin needles of different depths into strategic points on your body. Scientific studies have indicated that acupuncture works well. But the key point is that in many studies, both acupuncture and real acupuncture relieved lower back pain better than no treatment at all.

This could mean that excess acupuncture — placing needles in places not connected to traditional treatment points — could have an effect, or it could mean that the effects of acupuncture could be caused by a placebo effect.

Research on acupuncture is growing, but its interpretation remains a challenge. Currently, most studies seem to indicate that for most people, acupuncture produces some beneficial effects with a low risk of side effects.

So if other treatments haven't helped your lower back pain, it may be worth trying acupuncture. But if your back pain doesn't improve within a few weeks, acupuncture may not be the right treatment for you.