Low Back Pain: acupressure more effective than physiotherapy

We explore the findings of Taiwanese researchers, who ventured to test acupressure’s efficacy in comparison to conventional physical therapy.

Acupressure – pushing with the fingertips at the same body points used in acupuncture – gave patients better, long-lasting relief for low back pain than conventional physical therapy, Taiwanese researchers report.

‘Acupressure was effective in reducing low back pain in terms of disability, pain scores and functional status,’ doctors at the National Taiwan University reported in the current issue of the British Medical Journal. ‘The benefit was sustained for six months.’

‘Acupressure conferred an 89 percent reduction in physical disability compared with physical therapy,’ the researchers reported. The people who got acupressure also scored better on measures of pain and had fewer days taken off from work or school, the researchers said.

However, they cautioned that the effectiveness of any manipulative therapy such as acupressure ‘is highly dependent on the therapist’s technique and experience.’

In our practice we combine acupressure/Tuina with acupuncture for back pain to utilise these techniques to the maximum potential.

Interested to learn more? Get in touch or read more about how acupuncture helps with pain.