I have long known that Acupuncture is an effective treatment for low back pain. The Saam Acupuncture style I practice is very effective, using very few needles, as I often say, “every day I see miracles in the clinic.” Here is a study examining more conventional acupuncture treatments, which utilize ‘local’ treatments—treating the area near the site of the pain—and also incorporate some standard ‘distal’ acupuncture points.

This study randomly assigned 800 adults to three groups: the “Usual standard of care” (UMC), 265 participants received standard acupuncture over 12 weeks, and 269 received standard acupuncture plus electroacupuncture.

A disability scale used at 6 months measured pain levels, showing acupuncture to be far better than UMC. Additionally, the advantage of acupuncture over UMC on reducing disability persisted at 12 months without any additional treatments. This suggests that the acupuncture sessions successfully reduced pain, even though no one received acupuncture during those six months.

The authors concluded that “acupuncture needling provided greater improvements in back pain–related disability at 6 months and 12 months compared with UMC alone. These findings support acupuncture needling as an effective and safe treatment option for older adults with chronic low back pain.”

For those over 65, Medicare covers acupuncture for low back pain. As a dietitian, I am also eligible for Medicare and can provide covered acupuncture treatments to people over 65. Most acupuncturists are not covered by Medicare, which is a shortcoming of the government.

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