Acupuncture for slipped disc

A slipped disc (prolapsed or herniated disc) is where a soft cushion of tissue between the bones in your spine pushes out of place. It can cause back pain and neck pain. Other symptoms include numbness, a tingling sensation, weakness in the arms and legs and difficultly bending.

A slipped disc is often caused by ageing, exercising too hard or lifting heavy objects the wrong way. In Chinese medicine, it can also be caused by overwork and leading a sedentary lifestyle.

Traditional treatment for a slipped disc includes painkillers, physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy. In chronic cases, surgery is used on the spinal cord. However, acupuncture can also help symptoms of a slipped disc.

Acupuncture for a slipped disc

Research has shown that stimulating acupuncture points for 30 minutes is able to reducing pain caused by a slipped disc. I have helped many people with a slipped disc.

Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with biomedical pain relief such as a corticosteroid injection in the affected areas and may be able to reduce the degree of disc protrusion. I have seen this in some of my patients that received a combination of both treatments.

Watch my animated video below which explains how acupuncture can a slipped disc pain.

Richard Rong Wang and Volker Tronnier, Am. J. Chin. Med. 28, 25 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1142/S0192415X00000052