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Low back pain (LBP) is experienced at some point in life by approximately 80% of the population, 1,2 with 70% of affected individuals improving or remaining stable after four years of treatment. 3 Conventional treatment of LBP includes spinal manipulation, behavioral therapies, pharmaceutical interventions, and home exercise programs. 2 The majority of LBP is chronic (80-90%), which is typically characterized by a nonspecific musculoskeletal origin and unremarkable diagnostic tests. 2,4 Prolonged recovery and chronic pain often motivate patients to seek nontraditional treatments. 5-8 The literature suggests that acupuncture and acupressure treatments are effective for reduction of LBP, but a debate persists concerning the physiologic basis for the reduction in pain. 1-13 According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, back pain is caused by stagnation or an obstruction in the flow of "chi"-or vital energy-throughout the back region. 3 Obstruction or stagnation in the

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