Acupuncture and Sciatica: 10 Facts, Research and Answers for Questions About Sciatica Symptom Relief from Acupuncture Treatments

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Acupuncture has been proven to be an effective treatment for Sciatica through controlled trials

In an article titled, “What Conditions Does Acupuncture Treat (According to the World Health Organization)?” Acupuncture Today reported that The World Health Organization (WHO) has included Sciatica in their list of conditions effectively treated by acupuncture based on controlled clinical trials.

Of the 129 countries that reported data to the World Health Organization, 103 of those countries have Acupuncture practitioners and treatments. Specifically in the United States, there was a 50% percent increase in acupuncture use between 2002 and 2012, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

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Research studies have shown that Acupuncture may be helpful for several pain conditions, including back pain. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that an analysis of data from 20 studies concluded that the beneficial effects of acupuncture continued for most painful conditions (except neck pain) for more than one year after the Acupuncture treatments had been concluded.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a 2018 review of 12 studies with 8,003 participants concluded that Acupuncture was more effective than no treatment and more effective than fake (placebo) acupuncture for back or neck pain. The pain-relieving effect of acupuncture was also found to be comparable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Even before that review was completed, a 2017 clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians recommended that Acupuncture be used as a first course of treatment for chronic low-back pain, as well as for acute low-back pain.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, scientific studies have concluded that acupuncture works because it impacts nervous system function, directly effects the tissue where the needles are inserted, and produces positive non-specific effects due to a patient’s belief in the treatment and a strong and positive relationship between the patient and the practitioner.

According to Acupuncture Today, insurance companies may deny acupuncture treatment for Sciatica because in an effort to minimize costs, they deny claims saying that acupuncture is not one of their approved treatments or that acupuncture has not been proven as an effective treatment for Sciatica.

Each insurance company is different, but you can explore the process for appealing a claim denial. As part of your appeal, you can present the WHO official report, “Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials” findings that recognize acupuncture as an effective treatment for Sciatica based on controlled clinical trials.