Back & Neck Pain Treatment · Vienna, VA · Serving Northern Virginia
Chronic Back & Neck Pain Treatment in Vienna, VA
If you're living with back pain, neck pain, or sciatica that hasn't responded to medications, physical therapy, injections, or surgery — you haven't run out of options. At AcuPoint Wellness Clinic, we use acupuncture and electroacupuncture to address the underlying patterns keeping your pain stuck, not just the symptoms.
Dr. Teresa McFarland, D.Ac., L.Ac. · Doctor of Acupuncture · NCBAHM Board Certified · Licensed in Virginia
80M+
Americans affected by chronic back pain
#1
Cause of disability worldwide
Free
First consultation — in person, no commitment
INDIVIDUALIZED
Treatment plans tailored to each patient
Does this sound familiar?
You've already tried the standard path
Most patients who find us have done everything their doctor recommended. Here's what they tell us when they arrive:
If any of these sound like your experience, you're in the right place:
- "My MRI looks normal — but the pain is very real."
- "I've done physical therapy twice. It helps for a while, then everything comes back."
- "The injections gave me maybe two months of relief. Now I'm back where I started."
- You've been told this is just part of aging — or that you'll need to learn to manage it.
- You're taking medication to get through the day, and you don't want to be on it long-term.
- The pain has started affecting your sleep, your work, or things you used to enjoy.
Understanding the condition
Why chronic back and neck pain is so hard to treat
Chronic pain — defined as pain lasting three months or longer — is rarely just about the original injury. Over time, the body develops self-reinforcing patterns that keep pain active even when the initial cause has resolved. This is why imaging can look normal while pain remains intense.
Ongoing inflammation
Low-grade inflammation lingers in spinal tissues, joints, and surrounding muscles — contributing to stiffness and recurring flare-ups long after the original injury.
A nervous system stuck on high alert
With persistent pain, the nervous system becomes sensitized. It amplifies pain signals — which is why sciatica or neck pain can feel severe even when structural damage appears minimal on imaging.
Chronic muscle guarding
Muscles tighten around painful areas to protect them. Over time, this guarding reduces circulation, limits movement, and creates its own cycle of pain — especially in the low back and neck.
Overactive pain pathways
With chronic pain, the brain becomes more efficient at generating pain signals. This is why the pain often feels disproportionate to what shows up on an X-ray or MRI — the nervous system itself has changed.
What patients experience
Common presentations we treat
Back and neck pain isn't one condition — it presents differently for each patient. Select the category that best matches your experience.
Low Back Pain — Lumbar Spine & Surrounding Structures
- Persistent dull aching or sharp pain in the lower back
- Pain that worsens with sitting, standing, or bending
- Morning stiffness that takes time to ease
- Pain that flares unpredictably — a simple movement triggers a setback
- Restricted range of motion — difficulty bending or twisting
- Pain that has failed to fully resolve after injury, surgery, or prior treatment
Neck Pain — Cervical Spine & Surrounding Muscles
- Persistent stiffness or aching across the neck and upper shoulders
- Pain that worsens with screen time, driving, or looking down
- Limited range of motion — difficulty turning the head fully
- Tension headaches that originate at the base of the skull
- Sleep disruption from neck discomfort or inability to find a comfortable position
- History of whiplash or prior neck injury that never fully healed
Sciatica — Sciatic Nerve Pain Down the Leg
- Sharp, shooting, or burning pain that travels from the low back into the buttock and leg
- Numbness or tingling down the back of the thigh, calf, or into the foot
- Pain that worsens with sitting, especially for extended periods
- Weakness in the leg or foot on the affected side
- Pain that varies — sometimes mild, sometimes severe enough to limit walking
- Recurring episodes that keep coming back despite treatment
Referred & Radiating Pain — When Pain Travels
- Neck pain that radiates down the arms into the hands or fingers
- Low back pain that refers into the hips, groin, or upper thighs
- Shoulder blade pain originating from the cervical spine
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness accompanying the pain
- Pain that changes location — making it hard to pinpoint the source
- Symptoms that have been attributed to multiple diagnoses without clear resolution
How we treat it
Why acupuncture and electroacupuncture work differently for chronic pain
Medications reduce the perception of pain. Our approach works on the systems that are generating and perpetuating it — the nervous system, the inflammatory environment, and the muscular patterns keeping the pain cycle active.
1
Calm the sensitized nervous system
Acupuncture shifts the body out of its chronic "high alert" state by activating the parasympathetic nervous system — reducing the amplified pain signaling that makes chronic pain feel disproportionate to the underlying injury.
Acupuncture
2
Reduce inflammation in spinal tissues and joints
Acupuncture promotes the release of natural anti-inflammatory compounds, reducing the low-grade inflammation that perpetuates back and neck pain. When appropriate, ATP Resonance BioTherapy® is added to support tissue repair at the cellular level.
Acupuncture
ATP Resonance BioTherapy®
3
Release deep muscle tension and guarding patterns
Electroacupuncture adds gentle electrical stimulation to the acupuncture needles — particularly effective at releasing the deep, chronic muscle tension that surrounds painful spinal areas. This restores circulation, reduces guarding, and improves mobility in ways that massage or stretching alone often can't reach.
Electroacupuncture
4
Retrain pain pathways and restore normal movement
With consistent treatment, the brain's overactive pain processing begins to normalize. Patients typically notice fewer flare-ups, improved range of motion, and the ability to move without fear of triggering pain — which itself helps break the pain-avoidance-weakness cycle.
Acupuncture
Electroacupuncture
ATP Resonance BioTherapy®
Why patients look beyond medication
What medications do — and don't do — for chronic pain
Medications are often the first and sometimes only option offered. Here's an honest comparison of how they work versus our approach.
.
Medications & Injections
AcuPoint Approach
Goal
Block or reduce pain signals
Address the systems generating pain
Effect on pain cycle
Does not interrupt it
Works to break and retrain it
Effectiveness over time
Often diminishes; doses increase
Cumulative — results build with treatment
Muscle tension & guarding
Not addressed
Directly targeted with electroacupuncture
Side effects
Drowsiness, dependency risk, GI effects
Minimal; occasional mild bruising
Can be used together?
-
Yes — many patients continue medications while in treatment with us
Not sure if this is the right fit?
That’s exactly what the free consultation is for. You’ll speak directly with Dr. McFarland about your history, what you’ve already tried, and whether our approach makes sense for your situation.
What your treatment looks like
How acupuncture works over time
Every patient responds differently — and we'll always be honest about what's realistic for your specific situation. What we can tell you is how the process typically unfolds.
Treatment is cumulative — here's what that means in practice
Acupuncture for chronic pain isn’t a single-session fix, and we won’t tell you it is. Most patients begin to notice some degree of improvement within their first few treatments — often a reduction in pain intensity that lasts for a few hours, then a few days. That window of relief is meaningful: it tells us the body is responding.
As treatments accumulate, that improvement tends to become more noticeable and last for longer and longer periods between sessions. The goal over time is not just pain relief but a genuine shift in how the nervous system is processing pain — fewer flare-ups, better mobility, and less reliance on medication.
How quickly this happens, and how fully, depends on factors like the duration and severity of your condition, your overall health, and how your body responds to treatment. Dr. McFarland discusses realistic expectations with every patient during the free consultation — before any treatment begins.
Patient experiences
What patients say about back & neck pain treatment at AcuPoint
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about back & neck pain treatment
Yes — and this is actually one of the most common situations we see. When structural imaging looks normal but pain persists, it often means the issue is with the nervous system itself: sensitized pain pathways, chronic muscle guarding, or neurological patterns that have become self-sustaining. Acupuncture is particularly effective in these cases because it works directly on the nervous system — calming overactive pain signaling and helping the body reset. A normal MRI doesn't mean your pain isn't real. It means the source may not be purely structural.
Many of our patients come to us after surgery that didn't fully resolve their pain — or after which pain returned. Post-surgical pain is often driven by scar tissue, altered movement patterns, residual inflammation, and nervous system sensitization — all of which acupuncture can address. We work with your surgical history and current presentation to build an appropriate treatment plan. We'll discuss your specific situation during your free consultation.
Electroacupuncture uses the same thin acupuncture needles, but adds a gentle electrical current between pairs of needles — similar in principle to a TENS unit, but used in conjunction with acupuncture points. This enhances the muscle-relaxing and pain-relieving effects of traditional acupuncture, and is especially effective for chronic muscle tension, spasm, and deep tissue guarding. Most patients find the sensation mild and barely noticeable. Dr. McFarland uses it selectively based on your presentation and what is most likely to produce results.
Yes. Acupuncture works well alongside medications, and we never advise patients to stop or change their medication without guidance from their prescribing doctor. Many patients find that as their pain decreases through treatment, they naturally need less medication — and make those adjustments in conversation with their doctor. We'll note your current medications during the consultation and flag anything relevant.
We provide a detailed superbill after each appointment that you can submit directly to your insurance company for potential reimbursement — many patients with acupuncture benefits receive partial or full reimbursement this way.
The reason we operate this way is straightforward: being in-network requires following treatment protocols dictated by insurance companies, with hard visit caps that simply aren't enough for patients dealing with chronic pain or complex conditions. Staying out of network allows Dr. McFarland to design a treatment plan based entirely on what your body actually needs — not what an insurance policy allows. We're happy to discuss costs and what to expect during your free consultation.
Every patient responds differently, and we'll always give you an honest assessment based on your specific history rather than a one-size-fits-all answer. What we can say is that acupuncture for chronic pain is cumulative — most patients begin to notice some improvement within the first few treatments, with that improvement becoming more significant and longer-lasting as treatment progresses. Dr. McFarland discusses realistic expectations with every new patient during the free consultation, before any treatment begins.
Your practitioner
Who you'll be working with
Dr. Teresa McFarland, D.Ac., L.Ac.
Dr. McFarland founded AcuPoint Wellness Clinic with a focused specialty in chronic pain and complex conditions that conventional medicine often struggles to treat — including chronic back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and neuropathy. She uses acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and ATP Resonance BioTherapy® to build individualized treatment plans based on each patient’s specific presentation and history.
Doctor of Acupuncture · NCCAOM Board Certified · Licensed in Virginia
Related conditions we treat
You may also be dealing with
Chronic back and neck pain often appears alongside other conditions. These pages may also be relevant to your situation.
ATP Resonance BioTherapy®
The therapy we use alongside acupuncture for inflammation and repair
Ready to find out if we can help your back or neck pain?
We offer a free, in-person consultation — no commitment, no pressure. You'll speak directly with Dr. McFarland about your symptoms, your history, and whether our approach is a realistic fit for your situation.
Located in Vienna, VA — serving Tysons Corner, Oakton, Reston, Herndon, and Fairfax.
Free, in-person consultation. No commitment required. We'll call you within one business day.