Consumer Reports Supports Acupuncture for Back Pain

Hello Albany, NY! In another big step forward for Acupuncture, the June 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, a journal devoted to informing and protecting consumers, has a feature piece on effective relief from back pain.

View fullsize

Consumer Reports, June 2017

The article highlights the best options for people dealing with back pain, and that acupuncture and other natural means of healing are now understood to be the best choice for most people. Natural methods of dealing with and eliminating back pain have stood the test of time, and now have thoroughly stood the test of clinical research.

Some of the treatment options covered by the article are:

• Acupuncture
• Exercise
• Tai Chi
• Yoga
• Physical Therapy and Stretching

These are the same treatments now recommended by the American College of Physicians in their Clinical Guidelines for Back Pain. (See my blog). The results are definitive and clear- Acupuncture has left the "coo-coo" section of the medical fringe, and has won well-deserved acceptance in mainstream medicine!

Here is a link to another article on the Consumer Reports website on back pain that may interest you: The Better Way to Get Back Pain Relief

American College of Physicians puts Acupuncture First for Low Back Pain

In February of this year, the ACP released its clinical guidelines for the non-invasive (non-surgical) management of low back pain for physicians. The ACP recommends that physicians first try non-drug therapies (avoiding pain killers) including acupuncture and massage for acute and subacute lower back pain. This is an official standard of practice guideline.

• The ACP is THE authority for clinical practice guidelines for Internists
• These guidelines are based on research and clinical evidence
• For Acute and Subacute low back pain: acupuncture and massage are first-line therapies, to be tried before pain medication
• For Chronic back pain: acupuncture, tai chi and yoga are first-line therapies to be tried, before pain medication.

This means that physician internists, in order to be in compliance with their profession’s guidelines, will first recommend acupuncture before recommending pain killers or a visit to an orthopedist.  An exception to this would be if the pain and other symptoms clearly point to a need for emergency or surgical intervention, which are the minority of cases.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical-specialty society in the world. It is the leading authority for evidence-based recommendations and standards of care for practicing Internists. Their recommendations are based on research and clinical evidence, and are recognized throughout the mainstream medical field.

This means that the first stop on the road to relief from acute and subacute back pain should be with your acupuncturist and massage therapist. For chronic back pain (back pain lasting more than 12 weeks), the ACP also recommends acupuncture as a first-line treatment before pain killers, as well as tai chi and yoga.