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How to relieve slipped disc pain with acupuncture.
There’s a lot (and I mean a lot!) of articles, medical research and case studies on the web concerning acupuncture and also acupuncture and how to relieve slipped disc pain in particular. One of the main things that surprised me was even though acupuncture has been used for thousands of years and considering how much research is out there was just how many of these studies suggested that further research was needed!
Can acupuncture cure sciatica caused by slipped disc pain?
I think it’s safe to say if sciatica could be cured with acupuncture, we would know about it by now! That’s not to say acupuncture can’t help in reducing sciatic pain. A meta-analysis (reviewing many previous studies on the same subject) suggested that acupuncture, when used alongside more conventional pain therapies, is effective in providing greater pain relief than just the conventional therapies alone. There’s also evidence to show acupuncture on its own gave some pain relief compared to no treatment at all. This would suggest then that acupuncture is providing some pain relief (when used on its own) or extra pain relief (when used with conventional analgesics). However, in other studies acupuncture when compared with sham acupuncture (placebo) gave identical pain relieving results! My attitude to this is “does it matter”? As long as I’m getting some pain relief from my sciatica, I don’t care how it happens!
How does acupuncture provide sciatic pain relief?
Being a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture relies heavily on the concept of Qi (pronounced chee as in Tai Chi). Qi refers to the life force or energy that TCM says is part of all living things. When this Qi is blocked or impeded it interferes with our natural balance (homeostasis) causing us physical and emotional issues.
A skilled acupuncturist uses very fine needles and inserts them at various positions (acupoints) of the body, leaving them there for around 30 minutes or so. Sometimes the needles maybe moved, repositioned or manipulated slightly. Acupuncturists will tell you this use of needles will free the flow of Qi, returning your body to homeostasis (balance) and aides your physical and emotional wellbeing, including the relief of your sciatica.
Western science would suggest that what is happening is that by inserting any sharp implement into the body we’re activating the central nervous system to both inhibit the pain signal and to release our bodies own pain relieving endorphins. These chemical changes are then felt as a reduction in our sciatic pain. As I said earlier, I’m not too bothered about how it works just as long as it does work! There’s a great basic introduction to acupuncture here on the NHS website.
My experience of acupuncture and sciatica.
I’ve experienced acupuncture twice to find some relief for my back pain. Once by an acupuncturist at a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) centre and once from a physiotherapist. Both occasions I booked several weekly sessions. The insertion of the needles is virtually painless, even though the needles are sharp! The very fact that they are so sharp, and very fine, means they push through the tissue very easily.
On both occasions I did experience some relief from my sciatica. Unfortunately, this relief lasted only for a few days after each session.
How can I find out more about acupuncture?
The British Acupuncture Council is a great resource to find out more and also to find a qualified acupuncturist close to you.
Can I practice acupuncture at home?
Although it’s not practical or safe for yourself, or any unqualified person, to administer acupuncture there is growing interest in related therapies such as acupressure, cupping and reflexology. These other TCMs are somewhat similar to acupuncture in that they rely on certain pressure or trigger points around the body and manipulating, stimulating or working with that area to improve the bodies natural balance (homeostasis).
How to relieve slipped disc pain. Here are the best acupuncture, acupressure and trigger point products.
Here then are some of our top products we’d like to point you in the direction of.
Highly recommended: Premium Acupressure Mat
What users said: “Excellent pressure mat”.
“Great, love it. Carry bag is fab”.
Highly recommended: Value Acupressure Mat
What users said: “Bought for my partner who has bad back pain. This brings good relief”.
“My back is wrecked from my dogs pulling on their leads! This is great for pain relief”.
Highly recommended: Extra Large Acupressure Mat
What users said: “Has helped with my bad nerve pain. Seems to work by interrupting pain signal”.
“Better than I thought. Worth the money”.
Highly recommended: Double Trigger Point Massage Ball
What users said: “Excellent for the chronic pain down my leg”.
“I find it useful for the pain in my lower back”.
Highly recommended: Trigger Point Vibrating Foam Massage Roller
What users said: “Pleasantly surprised with the amount of help I get with this”.
“The vibrations really help with my glutes, hamstrings and the pain in my back”.
Highly recommended: Trigger Point Grid Roller
What users said: “I definitely feel a difference using this for my sciatica”.
“Buy cheap buy twice as my mother used to say. This is the best”.
Highly recommended: Trigger Point Therapy Balls
What users said: “Have worked brilliantly for me”.
“Good pain relief, especially for my sciatica”.
Highly recommended: Acupuncture Points Handbook
What users said: “Fabulous, this book is a real help”.
“Easily understood and written well”.
Highly recommended: The Concise Book of Trigger Points
What users said: “Amazing book”.
“Excellent book for enhancing your knowledge of trigger points”.
Highly recommended: Trigger Point Therapy Workbook
What users said: “Suffered with chronic hip pain for years. This book provided the best treatment by far”.
“This is a useful book for anyone in chronic pain”.
Highly recommended: Trigger Points Quick Study Guide
What users said: “Quality is good”.
“Illustration is clear. Great”.
Highly recommended: Acupressure Quick Study Guide
What users said: “Nicely laminated. A great help”.
“Details and writing are very clear. Brilliant”.
If you have any tips on acupuncture and sciatica it would be great to hear about them so please get in touch through the contact page.
Please make sure you check out the other natural at home sciatica relief tips. Remember, with little improvements you can find a way to manage your sciatic pain.
If you haven’t already please read my story on how I went from being in agony with sciatica to living a pain free life on the Sciatica Help homepage.