Evaluating Acupuncture as a Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain

This report investigates the effectiveness of acupuncture as an intervention method for chronic low back pain. It addresses the evidence question of whether acupuncture is more effective than conventional therapies such as spinal manipulation therapy and structured exercises. The report highlights the prevalence of chronic low back pain, affecting a significant portion of the population and impacting their quality of life. It reviews the limitations of traditional treatments and explores the growing popularity of acupuncture as an alternative therapy. The study references multiple research studies and meta-analyses, concluding that acupuncture shows promise in relieving chronic low back pain and may be a cost-effective and safe intervention. The report emphasizes the need for further evidence to determine whether acupuncture is a holistic treatment or should be used alongside other methods. Overall, the report provides a concise overview of acupuncture's efficacy in managing chronic low back pain, backed by scientific evidence.

Running head: ACUPUNCTURE FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN
Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Date of Submission

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Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain
Recently, I have been having many patients suffering from chronic low back pain and
some of them have not showed any improvement with the usual therapies. To this end, I want to
find the best available evidence that will satisfactorily answer my evidence question: Is
acupuncture a more effective intervention method than the usual therapies used to treat chronic
low back pain? This evidence question is important because despite the fact that my patients
undergo spinal manipulation therapy and structured exercises as intervention methods, there are
no significant improvements in them.
Chronic low back pain is a long-term condition characterized by lower back pain that
goes on for more than three months, this lowers an individual’s quality of life as it prevents them
from executing their daily tasks especially those that involve a lot of bending. The condition
affects 8 out of 10 people in their lifetime. This means that, the condition is a worldwide disease
burden that causes global disability and adverse socioeconomic effects especially among the
aged population (Vickers & Linde, 2014).Some of the intervention methods used such as spinal
manipulative therapy that includes massage, physical therapy and exercise only provide mild to
moderate pain relief (May,2013). A meta-analysis conducted in 2013 revealed that the pain-
relieving effects of spinal manipulation were minimal for people with chronic low back pain.
Additionally, results from a 2011 randomized clinical trial showed that massage therapy has
short-term benefits for the treatment of this condition and it only relieves pain for a short while
(Kamper, Apeldoorn, Chiarotto, Smeets, Ostelo, Guzman & Tulder, 2014).
Acupuncture has widely gained popularity as an alternative therapy for the treatment of
chronic low back pain. This intervention method unblocks and conducts the body’s energy

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through the main functional systems of the body (Xu, Yan, Yin, Gao, Han & Lei, 2013). In most
cases, acupuncture is usually a last resort to treat chronic low back pain and patients are often
surprised at its effectiveness. Patients who do not get significant relief from the use of traditional
treatment get promising findings from the use of acupuncture (Taylor, Pezzullo, Grant &
Bensoussan, 2014). Evidence has pointed towards acupuncture as a cost-effective and safe
intervention method. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative
Health (NCCIH), findings from several studies have shown that acupuncture may help in
relieving chronic low back pain (Vollestad, 2014). Previous studies have found that clients who
use acupuncture have notable differences in the severity of lower back pain experienced as
compared to those who do not (Lam, Galvin & Curry, 2013).
In summary, low back pain is prevalent especially among the elderly. Interventions like
acupuncture aim to provide patient who suffer from this condition with some form of relief.
Although acupuncture is effective, it is important to determine whether it is a holistic treatment
or whether it needs to be used alongside other treatment methods. An evidence search is also
required to determine whether acupuncture is a more effective intervention method than the other
conventional therapies.

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References
Kamper, S. J., Apeldoorn, A. T., Chiarotto, A., Smeets, R. J., Ostelo, R. W., Guzman, J., &
Tulder, M. W. (2014). Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low
back pain. The Cochrane Library.
Lam, M., Galvin, R., & Curry, P. (2013). Effectiveness of acupuncture for nonspecific chronic
low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Spine 38(24), 2124-2138.
May, S. (2013). Chronic low back pain. In Handbook of pain and palliative care (pp. 231-245).
Springer New York.
Taylor, P., Pezzullo, L., Grant, S. J., & Bensoussan, A. (2014). Cost-effectiveness of
Acupuncture for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain. Pain practice, 14(7), 588-606.
Vickers, A. J., & Linde, K. (2014). Acupuncture for chronic low back pain. Jama, 311(9), 955-
956.
Vollestad, N. (2014). Chronic Low Back Pain. In Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being
Research (pp. 903-904). Springer Netherlands.
Xu, M., Yan, S., Yin, X., Gao, S., Han R., & Lei, G. (2013). Acupuncture for chronic low back
pain in long-term follow-up: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. The
American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 41(01), 1-19.