Neck Pain In Belleville:
Can Acupuncture Relieve The Discomfort?

It has not been proven that acupuncture can relieve chronic neck pain in Belleville better than sham acupuncture, in which the needles are only placed superficially or in the "wrong" place.

Orthopedic diseases (Level 2)

Acupuncture is a treatment from traditional Chinese medicine in which fine needles are inserted into the skin in certain body areas. According to traditional beliefs, there are energy channels along the body that influence the body's functions. If they are blocked, diseases should be able to develop. Acupuncture needles are placed along the energy pathways and are intended to remedy the disorder. So far, however, it has not been scientifically proven that such energy pathways exist. It is also controversial where exactly the needles should be placed.

But there are also theories that ascribe acupuncture a pain-relieving effect for other reasons, as well as indications that the placement of acupuncture needles releases pain-relieving messenger substances in the nervous system.

Well-done scientific studies are needed to find out whether acupuncture actually helps with neck pain. For a study to produce reliable results, it should be structured as follows: A sufficiently large number of volunteers is randomly divided into two or more groups. Each group receives a different treatment, such as acupuncture, physical therapy, pain relievers, or a sham treatment. At the end of the study, a comparison is made as to which treatment best relieved the pain.

Problems with acupuncture studies in Belleville NJ

Acupuncture's effectiveness could depend on many factors, including the qualifications of the therapist. There are also various acupuncture techniques that differ, for example, in where the needles are placed. In order to be able to make reliable statements about the effectiveness of acupuncture, extensive studies are necessary.

Another challenge in acupuncture studies is to find a suitable comparative treatment. For example, sham acupuncture can be used, in which the needles are placed in the wrong place, or only superficially or not at all into the skin.

In the case of sham acupuncture, the study participants should not know whether they are getting real acupuncture or not.

Blinding aims to prevent suggestions and assumptions about the effect of a treatment from influencing the study results.

Current research results

A group of scientists from the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) evaluated studies in which acupuncture was used to treat chronic neck pain. They found several studies, which, however, only had a small number of participants and for the most part were of limited informative value.

Some studies have compared certain acupuncture techniques to sham acupuncture. Real acupuncture relieved pain no better than sham acupuncture.

Acupuncture can have side effects: Setting the needles can lead to small bleeding or bruising in particular. To avoid infection, it is important that sterile, single-use needles are used. However, the risk of serious side effects is low.

Some health insurance companies cover the cost of acupuncture. In the case of neck pain, however, acupuncture is not a mandatory service of the statutory health insurance companies.

Call our team at Health & Spine Wellness Center in Belleville today to schedule an appointment.