Acupuncture Benefits for Back Pain: My First Experience (and Why I Wish I’d Tried It Sooner)

A few days before my 40th birthday, I sneezed and felt like I’d pulled something in my back…

Was this a sign of what was to come?! 

I was looking forward to turning 40, but I hadn’t considered the potential physical changes that might come with getting older.

My friend Chantal runs Dragonfly Acupuncture in Leeds and has always offered her services.

“I’d rather stick pins in my eyes,” was my initial response… but she assured me no pins would be going in my eyes.

I’ve done energy work and all kinds of holistic healing before, but the idea of having pins stuck into your body to help you feel better seemed a little strange.

I’m not terrified of needles, but I’m definitely not keen on them.

I think it stems from when I was pregnant with Ted and had to have my blood taken constantly. The nurse could never seem to get it right, and I’d end up bruised and sore every time.

But when I did a post online about my back, and Chantal suggested that acupuncture might help, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to try something new and tick off the first item on my 40 Things To Do at 40 list.

The Night Before…

The night before the treatment, I had this bizarre dream that Chantal was doing the session in a school, and all these monsters dressed up as children kept interrupting us.

I wasn’t sure if it was an omen.

Or more likely, my subconscious doing what subconscious minds do when you’re about to step into the unknown.

Perhaps the monsters represented all the things I needed to let go of.

Or perhaps I’d just watched too much telly.

Either way, there was no turning back.

Does Acupuncture Hurt?

The first thing to say is this:

The needles do NOT hurt.

Even if you’re not keen on needles, you barely see them or feel them.

Chantal immediately put me at ease. She answered all my questions about what acupuncture is, how it works, and what to expect.

She began with a thorough consultation, taking my medical history and discussing what I needed support with that day.

This led to a fascinating conversation about what my tongue was telling her.

Yes, my tongue.

Using principles from Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncturists often examine the tongue because its colour, coating, and shape can indicate patterns of imbalance in the body. It was genuinely fascinating.

My Acupuncture Session

I really enjoyed the treatment. It wasn’t what I expected at all.

I had 29 needles during my session, though treatments can involve just a few or quite a lot depending on what’s being addressed.

Thankfully, I looked nothing like Pinhead from Hellraiser.

Once the needles were in place, I simply lay there for around 20 minutes while they did their thing.

You can chat during this time, but I decided to use it as an opportunity to do absolutely nothing.

How often in life do you get to rest and do nothing, like actual nothing?

In this world, when we “rest” we rest with a book, or watching TV, or having a bath, or scrolling through our phone. 

But to rest and do absolutely nothing for 20 minutes is a very rare thing, so I took this opportunity with both hands.

It was the chance to let my head and body reconnect with each other. 

So I put on some soft music and lit a lavender candle while my treatment was going on, and after 20 minutes, Chantal carefully took the needles out.

How I Felt After Acupuncture

Afterwards, my body felt incredibly relaxed.

Chantal had left me with a cup of calming tea as part of her welcome pack, which was such a lovely touch.

I sat quietly, feeling both deeply relaxed and strangely energised at the same time.

I assumed it might take a few days before I noticed any difference in my back pain.

But I shit you not…

When I stood up after my tea and started pottering around the kitchen, I realised the pain had completely gone.

Benefits of Acupuncture for Back Pain and Overall Wellbeing

Acupuncture has been studied for a wide range of health concerns, particularly pain management.

Research suggests it may help with:

• Lower back pain

• Neck pain

• Headaches and migraines

• Muscle tension

• Stress and anxiety

• Sleep problems

• Menopausal symptoms

The NHS acupuncture overview notes that many people use acupuncture for chronic pain and tension-related conditions, so acupuncture benefits back pain.

One of the things I found most interesting was that the treatment seemed to affect both my physical discomfort and my mental state.

My back pain disappeared, but I also felt calmer, lighter and more grounded.

Would I Recommend Acupuncture?

Absolutely.

It was a fascinating experience, and I’m genuinely glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to try something new.

It had both a physical and mental impact on me.

You can watch my short video on this experience here.

And just like that, I ticked off the very first item on my 40 Things To Do at 40 list.

If you’re in the Leeds area and want to try acupuncture, I highly recommend Dragonfly Acupuncture.

If you’re still not sure whether a full treatment is for you, Chantal also runs “Ahhhcupuncture” group sessions in Ossett, which are a more affordable way to experience acupuncture and support your physical and mental wellbeing.

You can find out more about Chantal and her work on the Dragonfly Acupuncture website here.