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Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to medical and health care systems, practices, and products that aren't currently part of conventional medicine — the care you receive in your primary care doctor's office. Many of these therapies are being studied intensely, and some have proved to help alleviate back pain.
Acupuncture. This therapy is based on the idea that your health depends on a vital energy called qi — pronounced "chee" — that flows along pathways in your body. It's believed that when qi is blocked, disease and pain result and that inserting fine needles into specific points along the pathways unblocks energy flow and restores balance.
During an acupuncture treatment, you'll have hair-thin needles inserted into your skin. In most cases, you won't feel the needles — in fact, many people find the treatments extremely relaxing.
Research into acupuncture's safety and efficacy has been inconsistent. Some studies have suggested that acupuncture can help back pain, while others have found no benefit. If you decide you'd like to try acupuncture, choose a licensed practitioner to ensure that he or she has had extensive training.
Chiropractic. Chiropractic treatment is based on the philosophy that restricted movement in the spine may lead to reduced function and pain. Spinal adjustment (manipulation) is one form of therapy chiropractors use to treat restricted spinal mobility. The goal is to restore spinal movement and, as a result, improve function and decrease pain.
Chiropractors manipulate the spine from different positions using varying degrees of force. Manipulation doesn't need to be forceful to be effective. Chiropractors may also use massage and stretching to relax muscles that are shortened or in spasm.
Some studies done on spinal manipulation have found it to be as effective and safe as standard treatments, especially for initial pain relief, though the optimal number of treatments is unknown.
- Massage. It's difficult to conduct objective clinical trials in massage due to variances in practitioners and in massage types. However, studies that have been conducted suggest that massage may ease low back pain symptoms.
- Hypnosis. Hypnosis produces an induced state of deep relaxation in which your mind stays narrowly focused and open to suggestion. During hypnosis, you can receive suggestions designed to decrease your perception of pain and increase your ability to cope with it. No one knows exactly how hypnosis works, but it may alter your brain wave patterns in much the same way as other relaxation techniques.
