Acupuncture for Pain Management

Acupuncture can be a great treatment option for a wide array of complaints, from acute or chronic pain relief to anxiety and hormonal issues, and everything in-between. Here at Willow + Elm we are seeing more and more insurance companies covering acupuncture treatment, though they tend to limit their coverage to treatments that address physical pain. The reason for this stems from studies being published through institutions such as the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) showing that there are statistically significant benefits when acupuncture is used for pain management.

A recent study focused on four of the most common chronic pain conditions: back/ neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and osteoarthritis. These patients were either treated with classical acupuncture, or with "sham" acupuncture (penetrative needles in random points), with a control group of people who received no acupuncture treatments. While the "sham" acupuncture showed some improvement in pain levels, the classical acupuncture group showed the most improvement, demonstrating that acupuncture is beneficial for minimizing and managing pain.

Common Complaints

Here at Willow + Elm, the most common ailments we treat are neck and upper back pain as well as lower back pain.

Neck Pain

Chronic neck pain is one of the most common ailments resulting from the nature of office jobs, poor ergonomics while working from home, and usage of devices such as cell phones or tablets.

Several studies have found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for neck pain, treating not only the pain itself, but symptoms stemming from neck discomfort, such as headaches.

Lower Back Pain

For more acute issues, such as low back pain, some studies have shown that acupuncture is as effective as pain relief medication and acupuncture treatment can also shorten the time of recovery.

The science behind acupuncture is still evolving and we are learning more every day! Studies show acupuncture as a promising treatment for many ailments, both acute and chronic. If you need relief from pain, come on in!