Conditions
Acupuncture for lower back pain, with Dr. Peter Caron.
Most people I see for lower back pain have tried physical therapy and stretching. The ache returns because a muscle is still guarding. I find that muscle and release it.
Why it hasn’t gotten better
The pain outlasts whatever caused it.
It often starts with one event, like a lift or a long day at a desk. Physical therapy helps for a while, then stalls.
The strain has healed, but your nervous system won’t allow the muscle to release. Most often it’s the deep muscle between your lowest rib and pelvis, or one on the side of your hip. Both send pain into the low back. That’s why stretching your back alone doesn’t hold.
When to see a physician first
See a physician first for numbness or weakness down a leg, or pain after a fall or accident. The same goes for back pain with a fever, or any change in bladder or bowel control. Tell me on the call, and I’ll point you to the right physician.
What it feels like
What people describe when they first call.
- An ache low in the back that’s worst when you first get up
- Standing up from a chair takes two tries and a hand on the table
- A band of tightness across the belt line after an hour of sitting
- Bending to tie your shoes or lift a laundry basket sets it off
- A back that goes out a few times a year and takes a week to settle
- Relief from massage or stretching that lasts a day, then fades
If you recognized yourself in that list, the free 15-minute call is the place to start.
How I treat it
Releasing the muscle is the easy part.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture turns down the pain signals coming from your lower back and lets the guarding muscle release, so you can bend and move again.
Pain often starts in a muscle a short distance from where you feel it. I needle that muscle’s motor and trigger points, usually with light electrical stimulation.
- Motor-point stimulation
- Trigger point release
- Fascial work
- Referral mapping
Herbal medicine
An herbal formula helps bring down the inflammation that keeps your back sore between visits.
Stress and poor sleep let back tension rebuild. An herbal formula works on both between visits.
- Herbal formula
- Constitutional support
Most lower back pain responds within three to five visits.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell whether I can help.
Your first visit
What happens the first time you come in.
- We go through the history When it started, what makes it worse, and what you’ve already tried, including imaging and physical therapy.
- I find where it refers from I watch how you bend and stand, then press along the muscles of the back and hip to find the motor and trigger points behind the pain. Often they sit a segment away from where it hurts.
- You’re treated the same day Fine needles at those points, usually with light electrical stimulation. Many people feel the muscle ease before they get off the table.
- You leave with a plan Roughly how many visits it should take, and what should have changed by the third one.
What to expect
How it usually goes, visit by visit.
I check how you bend and stand at every visit, so you’ll know early if it’s working.
- Visits 1–2 The muscle starts to let go. Many people stand up or bend a little more easily before they leave.
- Visits 3–5 The window where most lower back patterns respond. The ache comes back later and lighter between visits.
- After that We space visits out to keep it there. If nothing has changed by the fifth visit, I’ll say so and suggest what to try next.
Typical ranges, not promises. Results vary from person to person.
You’ll know at the first visit roughly how many visits it should take.
What the research shows
The American College of Physicians advises trying non-drug treatment first for chronic low back pain, and acupuncture is on its list.
The American College of Physicians’ 2017 guideline says to treat chronic low back pain without drugs first. Acupuncture is on its list, along with exercise, yoga, tai chi, and spinal manipulation. It’s also listed for new back pain.
A 2020 Cochrane review of 33 trials found acupuncture relieved chronic back pain more than no treatment. Against sham needling, the gap was smaller and less certain.
Questions
What people ask about lower back pain.
Something not covered here? Ask on the free discovery call.
Most people barely feel them. The needles are solid and far finer than an injection needle. At a tight muscle you may feel a dull ache or a twitch. The twitch usually means the muscle is letting go.
Most lower back pain responds within three to five visits. Many people bend more easily after the first one or two. Pain you’ve had for years can take longer, and I’ll give you my estimate at the first visit.
Pain below the knee, or pain that burns or tingles, usually means a nerve is involved. That’s sciatica, and I treat it too. Numbness or weakness in the leg needs a physician first.
Yes. Physician guidelines list acupuncture for new back pain as well as chronic pain. Tell me on the call how you’re moving, and we’ll find a time.
Yes, keep going. Once the muscle releases, the exercises get easier, and stretching has a better chance of holding.
Yes, and bring the report. Whatever the scan shows, I check which muscles are driving your pain. Numbness or weakness in a leg, or a change in bladder or bowel control, needs a physician first.
It feels like a light tapping or buzzing, and you set the strength. It helps a muscle that has guarded for months to release. I leave it out if you have a pacemaker.
We’re out of network and don’t bill insurance. After each visit we can send you a superbill to submit for reimbursement. Plans vary, so check yours before your first visit.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on the call. It’s free and takes fifteen minutes.
Related conditions
Often treated alongside this one.
Hip arthritis
For a hip that makes putting on socks a project.
Neck pain
For a neck that won’t turn all the way.
Sciatica
For pain that runs from the lower back down the leg.
Start here
Tell me where it hurts.
Describe the pain and how long you’ve had it. In a few minutes you’ll know whether I can help, and roughly how many visits it should take.
If you already know you want to come in, book an initial visit.