Acupuncture for Ruptured Disc Pain

Since November 1997, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stated that evidence exists to support the benefits of acupuncture in low back pain. Patients with ruptured disc pain may seek out acupuncture to improve quality of life.

What Are Discs?

Discs are flexible, jelly-like matter found between the vertebrae or backbones, serving as the shock absorber of your spine. With age, they become prone to wear and tear.

Symptoms

Ruptured or slipped disc results from discs' outer covering wearing out. A disc pressing against a nerve causes sharp, shooting pain from the lower back through the buttocks and legs (sciatica). Disc problems may cause numbness, tingling and weakness in the legs, reports Chris Woolston on AHealthyMe.com.

Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture doesn't correct ruptured discs, but as a conservative non-surgical treatment, it helps patients manage pain and maintain movement.

Acupuncture Benefits

According to the Mayo Clinic, the acupuncture's pain-relieving benefits may come from the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and because of the gate control theory of pain, which proposes that pain can be blocked in the nervous system by the sensations of the needles on the skin.

Considerations

An acupuncture program's goal is to restore normalcy to the body's energy balance by utilizing a combination of "acupoints," reports drkalyani.com. The use of needle is just one of the means of acupuncture treatment.

References

• SpineUniverse: Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• A Healthy Me: Herniated Disk FAQ
• Mayfield Clinic: Herniated Cervical Disc

Resources

• National Institutes of Health: Census Development Program
• Cedars-Sinai: Herniated or Ruptured Disc
• Legacy Spine and Rehab Center: Herniated Disc Pain