Chronic Low Back Pain

Acupuncture for chronic lower back pain

Acupuncture is over 2000 years old and has a long history of treating back pain, supported by many research studies.

Treatment may include electroacupuncture and cupping, along with traditional acupuncture. Other therapies including acupressure, also known as tui na, a hands-on method of clearing blockages in the energy flow, are often included as well. For some people, ear magnets, or auricular acupuncture, are very powerful for pain relief. The proper combination of these treatments leads to profound, long-term pain relief.

My approach is personalized to each patient, combining many therapies. This helps by relaxing the back muscles, stimulating the release of anti-inflammatory chemicals, and regulating how the brain feels pain. By targeting the root of the issue, it can lead to long-term improvement in the pain.

I have successfully treated back pain from many causes including: acute and chronic muscle spasms, muscular imbalances, SI joint pain, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and many other diseases that lead to back pain. Back pain that radiates down the leg is often sciatica, which I treat frequently and successfully. To help illustrate an acupuncture treatment course, here is a case study for back pain from a car accident as well as one for back pain in a marathon runner.

My approach

Acupuncture works holistically with the body, addressing many levels of the pain and condition. It works to relax the muscles, stimulate healing in the connective tissues, and reset the nervous system.

The initial acupuncture visit includes an examination and assessment of the root cause of your back pain. From there, I develop an individualized treatment plan.

The skill of effective acupuncture is matching the right treatment to the root cause. This means choosing the correct points, deciding what type of needle stimulation to use, and whether electroacupuncture is appropriate, electroacupuncture is especially useful for muscle weakness, since it can help stimulate muscle tissue growth alongside pain relief.

Treatment length also varies with presentation: an acute muscle spasm responds best to a shorter session, around 15-20 minutes, while muscle weakness benefits from a longer one, 30-35 minutes, to fully engage and rebuild the tissue.

I also include acupressure, cupping, or gua sha as supplemental therapies for back pain. For some people, ear magnets or auricular acupuncture can be very powerful for pain relief. The right combination of these treatments leads to profound, long-term relief. 

What imbalances cause back pain?

There is an old saying in Acupuncture: “When there is no movement, there is pain. When there is movement, there is no pain.”

Stagnation occurs when there is a blockage in the flow of energy through the back. Trauma, stress, or injury can cause the Qi, or energy flow, in the body to slow down and get stuck. When there is no flow, pain develops. Car accidents, sports injuries, and stress can all lead to the development of stagnation.

Another imbalance is called deficiency. A deficiency implies there is not enough energy in the body. The body needs Qi, or energy, to function healthfully. A gradual, slow, chronic onset of back pain can be a sign of insufficient energy, or a Qi deficiency.

Sometimes there is a combination of both deficiency and stagnation. This can develop over an extended period of time, for example, after a car accident. Pain and discomfort will linger, with no improvement, and can worsen over time.

Lower back pain treatment will most often be focused on the back itself. Needles will also be placed in other areas of the body to stimulate and increase the production of energy.

Research on Acupuncture for Back Pain

A 2025 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open, involving 800 older adults with chronic low back pain, found that acupuncture led to significant, lasting improvements in pain-related disability at both 6 and 12 months compared to usual medical care, with a strong safety profile.¹ The study was designed specifically to help inform Medicare coverage decisions for acupuncture. Read more about what this could mean for Medicare coverage of acupuncture.

A 2020 Cochrane review, one of the most rigorous forms of medical evidence synthesis, examined 33 randomized controlled trials with over 8,000 participants on acupuncture for chronic low back pain. It found that acupuncture produced clinically meaningful improvements in pain and back function compared to no treatment or usual care.²

Learn More

Research: Why Medicare Should Expand Coverage for Acupuncture and Back Pain

Self-Care: QiGong Exercises for Back Pain · Acupressure Points for Back Pain

Case Studies: Back Pain After a Car Accident · An Athletic Back Pain · Stress-Induced Back Pain

Get Relief from Back Pain

Chronic back pain can quietly take over your life, limiting how you move, sleep, and enjoy your day. Acupuncture offers a natural, time-tested way to relax the muscles, calm the nervous system, and address the pain at its root.

To schedule your appointment, please call us at 212-319-5757 or schedule your appointment online.

References:

1. Mu J, Furlan AD, Lam WY, Hsu MY, Ning Z, Lao L. Acupuncture for chronic nonspecific low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;12(12):CD013814.
2. DeBar LL, Wellman RD, Justice M, et al. Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(9):e2531348.