Alleviating Sciatica Pain: The Role of Acupuncture

Oct 24

Image to feature in article about the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for sciatica

Clinically reviewed by Acupuncturist Sarah Withers, Lic. Ac. AAC.

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Sciatica, characterised by radiating pain along the sciatic nerve, is a common and often debilitating condition affecting millions of individuals worldwide. It was the ancient Greeks who first used the term ‘sciatica’ or ischias (Greek ἰσχιάς) to describe pain around the hip or thigh. Typically a result from the compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the largest nerve in the body, sciatica pain can extend from your lower back all the way back down to your feet.

According to the NHS, up to 40% of adults experience sciatica at some point in their lives! Many people suffering from sciatica find pain relief provided by pain medications, physical therapy, and surgery, and the healing practice of Acupuncture, rooted in traditional Chinese Medicine, offers a promising complementary treatment if you’re looking for effective symptom management with a holistic approach to your wellbeing. In this article we’ll dive into the effectiveness of acupuncture for sciatica.

What is Acupuncture’s Approach To Treating Sciatica Symptoms?

Acupuncture is the practice of stimulating specific meridian points on the body by inserting thin needles into the skin. As described by the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians, it’s a form of healthcare that focuses “on the whole individual rather than on a single ailment, since the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of a person are understood to be interconnected.” When you see an acupuncturist for treatment for sciatica symptoms, they will take a whole-person approach to your wellbeing; they take all your health symptoms into account, share lifestyle and perhaps dietary recommendations and will review both the state of your physical and mental health. For more detailed information about acupuncture treatment and how it works, we wrote a dedicated blog post about it.

The Research On Acupuncture for Pain Relief

Bringing the two together, both the NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recognise acupuncture as a treatment option for chronic pain management. NICE guidelines for chronic pain management state that acupuncture may be considered as a treatment option, especially when other conventional treatments have been ineffective. The good news is that acupuncture can be used as a complementary treatment, alongside conventional approaches.

Let’s look at the research findings on ways that acupuncture may support your sciatica symptoms, and bring you relief.

Improving symptoms: The results of a systematic review of 11 randomised controlled trials from 2015 suggest that the use of acupuncture may more effectively relieve leg pain and improve sciatica when compared with NSAID (ibuprofen, meloxicam, and diclofenac) treatment. The review states that acupuncture is relatively safe and is rarely associated with serious adverse events in patients with sciatica. However, the authors noted that because the evidence was limited, higher quality and more rigorously designed clinical trials with larger sample sizes will be needed.

Pain relief: In a 2023 critical assessment of the published clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for treating sciatica, researched found that “acupuncture could be recommended as a feasible alternative therapy for patients with sciatica.”

Cost-effectiveness: For many sciatica patients, it poses a huge financial burden as they deal with chronic pain. In their 2021 guideline on the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for sciatica in the UK, NICE concluded that “acupuncture has been found to be cost effective in the chronic primary pain population, using pooled data from various trials to reflect the quality of life improvement over time from acupuncture, and taking into account the cost of the intervention.” Another study from 2021 indicates that “acupuncture may be cost-effective from a 1-year perspective, but more studies are needed.

The Benefits of Acupuncture As A Complementary Treatment

When looking at several research results and the experiences from practitioners in their treatment rooms, we can conclude that acupuncture offers a promising complementary and cost-effective approach for individuals seeking relief from sciatica pain. As research continues to shed light on the efficacy of acupuncture, individuals may benefit from its holistic approach to the treatment of pain, while releasing stuckness and reducing inflammation in your body. The Association of Acupuncture Clinicians, shares that “extensive research has shown that reported adverse events following acupuncture are incredibly rare and that most side effects are mild and pass very quickly. Serious side effects following acupuncture are uncommon, with research showing that on average only 1 in 10,000 treatments results in a significant side effect.” It is crucial to work with qualified acupuncturists and where possible, integrate acupuncture into a holistic, integrative treatment plan that looks at both external and internal health factors.

Finding A Qualified Acupuncturist For Sciatica

To make sure you get the best possible outcomes and minimise any risks, it is important to select a qualified and experienced acupuncturist when looking for treatment for your sciatica symptoms. In the UK, the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) and the Association of Acupuncture Clinicians (AAC) serve as the largest professional bodies representing traditional acupuncturists. BAcC and AAC members adhere to strict standards of training, safe practice, and professional conduct.

On Circe Health, you can book your treatment with qualified acupuncturist who have expertise in treating sciatica, easily online. All practitioners on Circe are registered with a regulatory organisation and vetted by our team.

Find An Acupuncturist for Sciatica