That acupuncture benefits patients with pain would have come as no surprise to the father of modern medicine, Sir William Osler, who practiced acupuncture over half a century before Chairman Mao and the “new” Traditional Chinese Medicine. Near the end of the 19th century, Osler wrote in his most famous work, “The Principles and Practice of Medicine” (1892) that acupuncture for acute back pain provided “the most efficient treatment.” In addition to lumbago, Osler suggested acupuncture for sciatica and neuralgia.
Following in the footsteps of physiologist and physician Sydney Ringer, Osler wrote, “In many instances the relief is immediate, and I can corroborate fully the statements of Ringer, who taught me this practice, as to its extraordinary and prompt efficacy in many instances.”
A 2009 study by the Mayo Clinic indicated that acupuncture showed a much larger effect on the ultimate neurologic recovery from acute spinal cord injury than any pharmacologic intervention to date. It’s hard to ignore the value and safety of acupuncture treatment for patients with disk disease.
A British study found that acupuncture provides a less expensive way of easing lower back pain in the long-term. Patients who received 10 sessions of acupuncture said they had less pain at a two-year follow-up, when compared with those who did not get the treatment. Study co-author Hugh MacPherson, Ph.D., said, “Acupuncture definitely has a role in the treatment of low back pain….and it seems to be associated with longer-term effects than anyone has realized.” He says the ancient Chinese therapy has proven it can be used with traditional therapies for back pain. Researchers analyzed 33 studies and concluded that acupuncture was an effective treatment for lower back pain. Eric Manheimer, at the University of Maryland, said, “Our analysis suggested that the benefits of acupuncture for low back pain are NOT due to a placebo effect.”
Learn how acupuncture can eliminate your pain and improve other health problems. Call our Minneapolis Acupuncture clinic at 612-866-4000 or visit www.orientalmedcare.com.
Steven Sonmore, LAc is a licensed acupuncturist in Minneapolis, Minnesota with over 20 years experience of health care and pain management.
Re: the video. How can a person who is planning to have surgery a. find a hospital with an anesthesiologist who is also an acupuncturist or b. convince their doctor to assist in getting this service? It seems to me that less pain without the use of pain killers after surgery would help a person get back to normal activities sooner.
wow i didn’t know that! thanks for sharing your knowledge
Very interesting. Have you seen the resent research published into this area?
Yes, are you referring to Millions of Patients with ‘Unexplained Symptoms’ could Benefit From Acupuncture? http://bit.ly/kZVg6Y