The relevance of childhood developmental factors to the efficacy of acupuncture on the affective component of back pain

Abstract

There is substantial evidence to support the use of acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain. The main predictors of chronic low back pain are non-medical and psychosocial. The understanding of how acupuncture can modulate the pain experience has recently been enhanced by the elucidation of the role of C fibre afferents on the limbic system. C fibre deactivation of the limbic system can only occur in the presence of intact corticosubcortical neuronal pathways. The normal development of these pathways is determined by social factors in the early years of life. The effect of acupuncture treatment for low back pain may be determined by successful relationships between the mother and child in the first 18 months of life.