How many sessions of acupuncture for back pain?  

The number of sessions needed for back pain varies depending on a few factors, such as:

• Cause of back pain - Common causes include back spasm, recent injury, overuse, disc degeneration or disc issues, postural stress and tension, and stenosis. 
• Severity and quality of pain - Ranging from mild to severe, constant or intermittent, achy or sharp and stabbing. 
• Chronicity - Ranging from recent onset to a couple months to long standing.
• Lifestyle factors - Certain avoidable or unavoidable lifestyle factors may contribute to length of treatment such as manual labor or sitting at a desk. 
• General health - Sleeping well and stress management play a role in healing

As a general rule of thumb, less severe and more recent onset cases will require fewer treatments, whereas longer standing cases will require more treatments. For example,

• Acute back pain lasting 1 week or shorter may require as few as 2-3 sessions
• Subacute back pain lasting 6 - 12 weeks typically requires 5-10 sessions
• Chronic back pain typically requires 10 or more treatments to fully resolve. For patients with very long standing (5+ years or lifelong) back pain, ongoing maintenance sessions may play a key role in maintaining pain relief, mobility and strength.

Individual Response Times

Each patient is different and response times vary. Some people respond faster, others may respond slower, especially if there are complicating factors such as chronic stress, poor sleep and/or structural changes.

Acupuncture works by releasing trigger points, improving circulation, regulating the nervous system and triggering engagement of the body’s natural ability to heal. Acupuncture triggers the release of endogenous (made by the body) opioid-like pain killers and anti-inflammatory agents. The relief that this provides can be long lasting, but to get to the point of relief, frequent sessions are important in the beginning of the treatment plan. Two sessions per week is a good minimum in the initial stage of treatment. 

Chinese Medicine is a holistic system in the sense that it views the body as a whole, with all parts being interrelated. When treating back pain, a skilled practitioner of Chinese Medicine will take into account many factors which may seem unrelated to back pain. For example, if there are issues with stress and anxiety, digestion, or sleep– these point to underlying issues that may be contributing to the chronicity and severity of back pain. We can understand this from a Western standpoint as well: sleep and nervous system regulation (regular engagement of “rest and digest” state) are essential for tissue repair. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine works by addressing not only issues in the muscles and nerves locally, but by treating the body as a whole. This is one of the ways that acupuncture by a Chinese Medicine practitioner differs from “dry needling” provided by a western medical provider. A Chinese Medicine acupuncturist can provide dry needling style acupuncture as part of a holistic treatment that also addresses underlying and related issues such as sleep and stress management.

Chinese Medicine is a system of diagnosis and treatment that includes more than just acupuncture. Manual therapy modalities such as cupping and gua sha may be incorporated into acupuncture treatments. Another important treatment modality under the umbrella of Chinese Medicine is Herbal Therapy. Topical herbs are often incorporated into acupuncture treatments for back pain. Chinese herbal formulas can also be taken orally. While many cases of acute and chronic pain will respond well to acupuncture alone, in some cases herbal therapy is essential. 

Electro-acupuncture involves gentle electrical stimulation applied to select acupuncture needles. It’s a modern, science based advancement in acupuncture that blends seamlessly with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Electroacupuncture enhances certain effects of acupuncture including triggering the body to release endogenous opioid-like pain killers like endorphins. This technique is very helpful for a wide range of chronic pain issues and is highly effective for treating back pain. Frequency of sessions is particularly important for getting the most benefit from electro-acupuncture as possible. Release of endorphins into the bloodstream as a result of electro acupuncture is cumulative, with each treatment building on the last. When treatments are spaced too far apart (less than twice a week) endorphins in the bloodstream may come back to the baseline starting point rather than increasing with each treatment. That’s not to say there will not be other measurable benefits to receiving acupuncture once per week, but it may not be the ideal treatment frequency. On the other hand, frequent treatment for a 3-4 weeks may provide years of pain relief.¹

In order to figure out how many sessions of acupuncture for back pain is appropriate for you, you will want to meet with an acupuncturist experienced in treating back pain. Ideally, you’ll have the option of an initial consultation to get a sense of their style and treatment approach. The practitioner should be able to give you a sense of how many treatments you are likely to need. You may also want to find a practitioner that is trained in electroacupuncture and custom herbal therapy if that is available in your area.

At Gotham Integrative Acupuncture and Wellness we provide acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy for back pain. We’ve helped many New Yorkers get relief from acute and chronic back pain.

All New Patients start with an in-person Complimentary Consultation. During the consultation, new patients meet with the acupuncturist to go over health history, current complaints, and health goals. We'll determine the best treatment plan for you and answer any questions you may have. You'll have the option to get started with treatment right away, but there's no obligation to do so.

Your treatment plan for back pain, as well as any secondary complaints, may include acupuncture, herbal therapy, or both. We also offer massage therapy for back pain (a consultation is not required to book a massage session).

If you’d like to learn more, book a consultation to find out if we can help you! For questions, reach us by email at info@gothamholistic.com or phone at 646-255-1332.