Back pain is a universally shared condition experienced by people of all races, colors and creeds.  The good news is that Edina acupuncture has been around for 5,000 years and has for a long time treated countless numbers of people throughout the years of their back pain.  Back pain is one of the most heard complaints of doctors and can be caused by several factors.  The most common cause of back pain is the overstretching of the ligaments, which is known as sprain. Another factor is strain or tear in the tissue of the back muscles.  This usually is the result of disease, poor posture or injury.

These days, people are attracted to natural modes of treatment probably because they are now better informed of the serious side effects of painkilling medications to the body or because of the high cost of healthcare.  Acupuncture is probably the most popular of the treatments for back pain in the market today because it is inexpensive and much more effective that drugs.  This treatment is a part of traditional Chinese medicine and is around 5,000 years old.  Filiform needles are used in acupuncture treatment and they are inserted at selected points called acupuncture points scattered all over the body.  These acupuncture points are located along energy vessels called meridians or ley lines. The Chinese practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture believe that meridians all have their own association to major body systems or major body organs and the needling is meant to ensure the smooth unimpeded flow of vital energy or chi throughout all body systems.  According to them, when chi flows freely in the body, it can treat whatever condition an individual is ailing from.

Acupuncture can be either local or distal or local. Acupuncture using the local therapy treats the area affected by the pain and the disorder, while distal therapy involves treating meridians distant from the site of the pain.  Distal therapy is used for treating acute pain and sometimes the other techniques used can be electroacupuncture or cupping. Licensed acupuncturists are highly trained to know the exact points to insert the needles where the optimal impact of the therapy can be achieved.  Depending on the degree of the pain, few to several sessions of treatment may be needed although as the pain starts to lessen, the sessions decrease as well.

Many patients who have tried acupuncture swear by its efficacy and gladly promote it because it is inexpensive, has very few side effects (unlike pain medications) and is quite non invasive.  And because it is relatively noninvasive, it can be used in combination with other conventional modalities.  For those with pain who have not tried acupuncture, there is no harm in trying out acupuncture.  For all you know, it may be the long awaited answer for your longstanding painful conditions.