Reprinted from "Rediscover Comfort" newsletter

Chinese Medicine Treatment of Back Pain

A cold wind is blowing, and the leaves in your yard need to be picked up. You bend over to scoop them up and suddenly you feel a sharp stabbing pain in your low back. With difficulty you straighten up as much as possible and head for your bed. All you want to do is go to bed and lay down, without moving. Oh my aching back! Not again!

The good news is that acupuncture and oriental medicine can help relieve your pain and enable you to prevent future reoccurrence of your lower back pain. From a traditional Chinese Medicine point of view the above incident may have been caused by one or more of the following: 1. The invasion of your back by wind, cold or dampness. 2. Deficiency of the kidney energy. 3. Trauma leading to stagnation of Qi (pronounced chi) or life force and blood in the acupuncture pathways that carry this Qi energy.

How does acupuncture work?

The Qi flows through a system of twelve major pathways or meridians. Each meridian is connected internally to a specific organ such as the lung, kidney etc. The acupuncture points along these pathways on the surface of the skin can therefore be used to affect the corresponding internal organ. These acupuncture points can be measured as areas of higher electrical skin conductance. The Qi in the meridians is balanced, resulting in a state of ease, and well being.

From a western perspective acupuncture increases blood flow to speed healing, and stimulates hormonal changes such as increasing the bodies natural pain modulators (endorphins). Patients who receive Naloxone (an antidote to morphine like drugs) do not respond to acupuncture's pain-reducing effects.

Three types of Back Pain

In our culture we talk about catching a head cold. In Chinese Medicine we can catch cold or be invaded by external cold, wind or dampness in any part of our bodies. If we are tired or rundown our defenses (immune system) may be weak and the cold can more readily enter our meridians. This type of back pain is usually worse on cold, windy, or damp days and the most common symptoms are a heavy sensation in the back muscles, and stiffness that can limit our ability to move. This type of pain is usually not alleviated by bed rest.

Deficiency of the Kidney energy back pain is usually gradual in onset, and the pain is usually one of soreness. A deficiency of Kidney energy does not mean there is a problem with your Kidney organ. There may be a weakness of the lumbar area and knees, with accompanying symptoms of fatigue. The pain is aggravated by exertion. Rest alleviates this type of pain, and massage feels good. The body is in a weakened state from lack of rest, overuse, and illness or aging.

The most common type of low back pain is from trauma. The trauma may be a car accident, incorrect lifting, or any other sprain or strain. A common cause of strain is incorrect posture leading to prolonged stretching of the ligaments and muscles supporting the back, which in turn causes weakness in the area. This "posture strain" can also be due to the chairs we use and the bed we sleep on. The pain is usually fixed and is aggravated by movement and pressure.

Back pain can be a mixture of all three types. For example if we are run down from lack of sleep or stress, the Kidney energy can become deficient leading to weakness of the lumbar muscles. This can lead to sprain or strain, and be aggravated by contact with wind, cold, or dampness.

Treatment

Acupuncture can be used to relieve the spasm and pain in the area by removing the energy blockages, and increasing blood flow to the area to speed healing. Natural herbal compounds can be used effectively to reduce inflammation without the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs. Ginseng and other Kidney tonifying herbs can be used to support the energy in the low back.

Acupuncture feels good. Most people experience a profound feeling of relaxation and well being during and after an acupuncture treatment. Disposable hair thin acupuncture needles are painlessly inserted creating feelings such as warmth, tingling, pressure or a slight ache. Many people say, "I wish I would have tried this sooner."

In some cases it may not be necessary to use needles. Microcurrent Bio-Therapy (non-needle acupuncture), moxibustion (heated herbs), and acupressure are also effective modalities. An appropriate treatment strategy can be planned for you. Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture can help you, and it feels good too.

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