We see many people with lower back pain and sciatica at Village Remedies in our Balmain and Sydney CBD clinics. For some it may be an acute episode of lower back pain that brings them in, while others can be suffering from sciatica for years with little to no relief. In this article we’ll look at sciatica and acupuncture treatment for lower back pain.
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica is not a condition itself, rather it is the name of a symptom that can be caused by issues in the lower back and pelvic region. It is where the sciatic nerve (with roots between L4 to S3) is in some way compressed, impinged or irritated, producing any combination of sharp electric-type pains, dull aching pains, tingling, numbness and/or weakness anywhere between the buttock and foot. Usually this occurs only on one side and most of the time will improve within 4-6 weeks from the onset of pain.
Often imaging will be ordered to check for any structural impingement of a nerve root in the lower back, however, the current evidence does not support imaging unless the symptoms are severe (affecting motor control, signs of infection, weight loss, etc) or fail to respond to conservative treatment within 4-6 weeks. This is because imaging can give a lot of false positives due to the fact that degenerative changes of the spine are very common in non-symptomatic individuals and are associated with the normal aging process.
Even when there are signs of disc herniation impinging on a nerve root, the majority of disc herniations resorb and become asymptomatic within 8 weeks of onset. It is therefore preferential to treat sciatica and lower back pain conservatively and avoid surgery, unless absolutely necessary, due to the risks.
Typically conservative treatment includes pain relief (prescription and/or over the counter), rest and physical therapy. In addition to this, acupuncture may be a very useful addition to conservative treatment for pain relief and recovery.
Acupuncture For Lower Back Pain & Sciatica
In a 2015 review of research for lower back pain and sciatica, it was suggested that acupuncture may be more effective than standalone pain relief medication and may actually increase relief when combined with it. For chronic lower back pain sufferers, one paper found acupuncture to be up to twice as effective as conventional treatment (see video below).
