When living with chronic pain, you might try anything to find relief. Many people swear by chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture or the classic back massage. Are all of these alternative therapies safe? Or will some of them make your pain worse? See what doctors say about these controversial treatments.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture originated in Eastern medicine. Thin needles are inserted at specific points along "meridians" in the body to bring the life force, qi, back into balance. There's no scientific evidence that these meridians or qi exist.

Of acupuncture's effectiveness, internal medicine expert Tesia Winter, DO says, "Small studies show some benefit to acupuncture, but it's hard to know if it's a placebo effect or not." The placebo effect is when people experience a benefit from a fake treatment, which happens often. It's difficult to have a convincing fake treatment to study the placebo effect with acupuncture – you'd know whether a needle is going into your back or not. This means it's difficult to have a proper scientific study to see acupuncture's actual effects.

Is acupuncture dangerous? "If the needles are contaminated, you're at risk for infection. And in cases where acupuncture is not done safely, nerve damage or even injury to an organ can result. But that's quite rare," says Dr. Winter.

Massage

Massages feel oh-so-good, but what does a doctor think? "I do recommend massage therapy for patients with chronic pain," says Dr. Winter. Massage therapy has been shown to relieve acute back pain and give short-term relief of neck pain. 

Are there risks with massage? "Since massage therapy is a low-impact treatment, the risks are low," says Dr. Winter. Consult with your doctor, especially if you're pregnant or have some spinal instability. 

Chiropractic

Crack! Crunch! Some people live for the distinctive sounds of chiropractic adjustment. But do all those popping noises mean it's working to relieve pain? 

"I think in general there's a role for this type of care when people have some acute pain or feel that they injured their back and they have no neurologic symptoms," says spine surgeon Chris Cornett, MD. "I rarely prescribe it. However, there's no question many people with regular musculoskeletal pain get relief from some chiropractic intervention." 

However, there are risks associated with chiropractic adjustments in the neck. "Manipulating the cervical spine can cause a herniated or a bulging disc, which can cause pressure on the nerves or spinal cord that could lead to pain, numbness or paralysis," says neurosurgeon Jamie Wilson, MD. "There's also a rare vascular complication with the vertebral artery which can cause fatal strokes. Before attending a chiropractor for neck manipulation, your risk should be fully assessed by a qualified spine physician."