Acupuncture recommended as an alternative to opioids for back pain

Did you know acupuncture is now recommended as an alternative to opioids for the treatment of back pain?

>> In 2017, American College of Physicians released the new recommendation that MDs should prescribe acupuncture, chiropractic or massage BEFORE prescribing medication for back pain, in order to help reduce the opioid crisis.

Wonderful, right? The only way they would make such a strong recommendation for acupuncture is if the research backed it up.

And it DOES. Multiple studies support the effectiveness of acupuncture for managing pain. And not just back pain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also supports the use of acupuncture for many other pain conditions - and their recommendations are also based on research outcomes.

You can see the full list of conditions for which the WHO recommends acupuncture here.

What kinds of pain can acupuncture help with?

- Back pain
- Neck pain/stiffness/tightness
- Sciatic pain
- Knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle pain (Okay, basically any kind of joint pain)
- Headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Post-surgical pain
- Toothache/jaw pain
- Pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis
- Menstrual pain/cramping
- Acute pain due to injury
- Nerve pain

If you have pain that you've been struggling with, it's worth it to give acupuncture a try. It's incredibly helpful and my patients are often surprised at how much better they feel - that's a huge part of why I love my job!

If you have questions about acupuncture can help your pain, please don't hesitate to reach out. Feel free to reply to this email with questions. I'm happy to chat with you.