Low back pain is very common and affects one in three adults in the UK every year. An estimated 2.5 million people seek help for this condition from their GP. For many people the pain goes away after a short time but for some, the pain can become chronic and very debilitating.

In a recent guideline, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said that anyone whose pain persists for more than six weeks and up to a year should be given a choice of several treatments to try on the NHS.

In addition to painkillers and regular advice to stay active and carry on with normal activities as much as possible, patients, together with their doctor, can decide to try up to 10 sessions of acupuncture over a 12 week period.

Professor Peter Littlejohns, NICE Clinical and Public Health Director said: “This new NICE guideline means that for the first time we now have the means for a consistent national approach to managing low back pain.

“Importantly, patients whose pain is not improving should have access to a choice of different therapies including acupuncture, structured exercise and manual therapy.”

This news is very positive for the public perception of acupuncture, as it implicitly acknowledges a number of research studies that show acupuncture is effective in the treatment of back pain.

Tags: back pain, NHS, NICE