PAIN CARE

7 Myths about Back Pain

By Temma Ehrenfeld @temmaehrenfeld
 | 
April 03, 2017
Doctor putting acupuncture needles on woman's shoulder, close-up --- Image by © Viewstock/Corbis

Myth: Acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic will bring lasting relief. 

Any of these could make you feel better, but there’s no evidence they solve an underlying problem. A review of the scientific literature found that acupuncture for chronic general low back pain beats placebo, but the relief is short-term. Chiropractic has better results than acupuncture for low back pain patients, but again only for temporary relief. Massage also helps, briefly: in this review, it turned out to be superior to placebo or no treatment for low back pain. Just be careful not to overspend on treatments based on false promises. If you’re also seeing a doctor, it’s best to volunteer that you’ve sought out alternatives

 

 

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Updated:  

March 27, 2020

Reviewed By:  

Janet O’Dell, RN