According to the World Health Organization, approximately 39% of adults in the U.S. reported experiencing back pain, with that prevalence incrementally increasing with age. The good news is acupuncture is very effective for low back pain.
Recent studies have shown that acupuncture is supported for both chronic low back pain and sciatica, particularly in older adults and those with pain due to herniated discs. Benefits in pain, function, and overall disability, outperforming usual medical care and even sham treatments in rigorous clinical trials.
Multiple 2025 studies, including a large NIH-funded trial (BackInAction) with 800 participants aged 65 and older, found that acupuncture led to greater improvements in pain, physical function, and disability than standard medical care such as medications or physical therapy. These effects persisted for at least 6 to 12 months. (Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults)
Also, several new randomized controlled trials confirm that acupuncture provides significant, lasting relief from pain and disability in chronic sciatica due to herniated discs, surpassing sham acupuncture and placebo controls for up to a year after treatment. The benefits are most clearly demonstrated in terms of reducing leg pain and disability scores, with effects seen as early as two weeks and continuing throughout a 52-week follow-up period. And for those who may be concerned, were no serious adverse events reported in these studies, reaffirming the safety of acupuncture for this indication. (Acupuncture can help relieve sciatica pain, new evidence confirms)
And, most importantly, acupuncture is shown to be very safe, especially compared to medications and spinal injections, with very few adverse events noted—even in older adults with other health conditions. (Acupuncture serves as safe, effective treatment for older adults’ chronic lower back pain, study finds)
If you’d like to give acupuncture a try for your low back pain, call or text 858-333-6633. I can also be reached via email at jwellsacu@gmail.com