Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are very effective in treating back pain naturally.
Back pain is a very common problem – one that will strike 4 out of 5 Americans at some time in their lives. In fact, it’s one of the top reasons people seek medical care. Unfortunately, back pain isn’t always easy to diagnose or relieve. Low back pain in particular can become a chronic or ongoing problem.
There are many possible causes for back pain, including strained muscles or ligaments, often caused by improper lifting, sudden movements, or traumatic injury. Other culprits can include arthritis, structural abnormalities of the spine, or the disks between the vertebrae bulging / rupturing and pressing on a nerve.
Depending on the specific diagnosis, back pain is generally treated with medications, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and in some cases, surgery.
“Acupuncture represents a highly promising and effective treatment option for chronic back pain. Patients experienced not only reduced pain intensity, but also reported improvements in the disability that often results from back pain, and therefore in their quality of life.” – H. Endres, MD
A Natural Approach:
An acupuncturist will not only work to relieve your symptoms, but will also work to find and treat the underlying cause of your pain.
In a study conducted at a Swedish hospital, doctors concluded that acupuncture provided long-term relief along with improvements in physical activity levels, quality of sleep and the diminished use of pain medication.
Acupuncture and TCM are based on the concept that Qi, or vital energy, flows through the body in channels called meridians. If Qi becomes stagnant, unbalanced or deficient, symptoms such as back pain, ache and inflammation can result. This can happen for any number of reasons, from injury and illness to stress or external invaders such as wind or dampness.
Back pain can arise from disharmonies such as:
• Stagnation – pain that is often linked to sudden, stabbing, severe pain and related to sprains, strains or trauma. It can be accompanied by stiffness and tightness and becomes worse with rest. If it occurs often in the same area(s) it may reflect an underlying deficiency.
• Cold, damp obstruction – pain that is generally worse in the morning and exacerbated by cold / damp weather. This type of pain condition may be associated with numbness, swelling and a sense of “heaviness.” Heat improves this condition.
• Deficiency – pain that is usually a chronic condition that presents with a “dull” pain and improves with rest.
Restoring Balance:
Your practitioner will create a specific treatment plan designed just for you to address your concerns and boost overall health and vitality.
During acupuncture treatments, your practitioner will insert fine, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points along the meridian pathways in order to restore the balance and flow of Qi. Your acupuncturist may also perform acupressure or other types of therapy, based on your unique issues and symptoms.
Your practitioner may suggest lifestyle changes and self-care techniques, especially if you struggle with chronic pain. These may include:
• Improving Posture – Examine your posture in a mirror. Try to stand with your head up, shoulders back and pelvis in a neutral position. When sitting, try to sit upright with your feet flat on the floor and your knees and hips level. Try to balance your weight evenly when walking and standing.
• Exercising – Keep your back and abdominal muscles strong with regular exercise. Yoga and Qi Gong are both gentle and effective. Consider adding aerobic exercise as well to improve your overall health and reduce stress.
• Managing Stress – Stress can take a real toll on your health and contribute to muscle pain. Meditation or deep-breathing techniques can help you stay calm and relaxed. Massage is another great way to help relieve stress and loosen tense muscles.
More and more people are finding relief for both acute and chronic back pain through acupuncture and TCM.
If you or someone you love is struggling with back pain, call today to find out how acupuncture can help: (727) 266-3000.
Research Update: Acupuncture & Pain Management
Study published in Annals of Internal Medicine: how acupuncture is used to treat back pain.
Researchers looked at multiple trials to determine that acupuncture shows great promise in relieving chronic low back pain. The trials were inconclusive about acupuncture for acute low back pain. Since chronic low back pain is more common, it makes sense the majority of the trials scrutinized found more evidence to support acupuncture usage for this condition.
Pain affects everybody at some point in their lives. It may be either acute or chronic. But regardless of the type of pain, it can be debilitating.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 100 million Americans have suffered from pain that lasts more than 24 hours and millions more suffer from acute pain. Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability in the United States also, which ultimately affects not only the pain sufferer, but also those around him or her.
Many people go to see their regular doctor when they have pain. Many more go to the emergency room. But the treatments received don’t always provide relief. Everything from pain pills to surgery may be suggested to help pain sufferers. And because of over-prescription of pain medications, there is now an epidemic in the United States.
Opioids, one class of prescription painkillers, has turned into a legitimate killer, causing more and more people to overdose and die. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it is estimated that nearly 2.1 million people in the U.S. are suffering from substance abuse disorders directly related to opioid pain relievers.
This is where acupuncture comes in. Acupuncture is part of a nearly 3,000 year old medical system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture uses hair-thin needles to stimulate specific pressure points on the body. By invigorating these points, the brain is triggered to release endorphins, which are natural painkillers. The energy within the body is also moved and adjusted. According to TCM medical theory, when the energy is blocked or weak, then pain and illness can attack the body.
An advantage to utilizing acupuncture to treat back pain is that the acupuncturist doesn’t need to diagnose the cause of pain before treating it.
Since acupuncture has no real adverse side effects when performed by a qualified and licensed practitioner, pain relief can begin the very first time a patient is treated.
The treatments are customizable because this medicine is not a “one size fits all” type of solution. This means, that as the pain shifts and changes, the patient will receive customized treatments that not only address the pain and inflammation, but also work on resolving the root of the problem. Most patients who are dealing with pain also have added stress, insomnia and depression / anxiety. Acupuncture is great at treating all of these conditions. So the patient gets more than just pain relief.
Why not check it out for yourself?
Contact Robert Lutz to find out more information.
Statistics show that almost 8 out of 10 people experience low back pain at some point during their life.
Seeking medical treatment for back pain is very common. Typically, back pain is fleeting and can be easily resolved with rest, heat and an occasional anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. However, once the damage is done, the recurrence of back pain can be as high as 50%.
Part of this is because as we age, things like muscles and tendons become less flexible and pliable. This can also be attributed to the fact that many people suffer from low-grade dehydration because they don’t drink enough water and they don’t ingest enough healthy fats that keep the muscles and tendons loose.
It is also very well known that in the United States, people are too sedentary, and this leads to excess weight gain that can create added pressure on the body, especially the low back.
Studies have shown acupuncture stimulates the body to produce natural steroids that reduce inflammation.
Acupuncture also increases the production of endorphins, which are helpful in reducing pain. In this way, acupuncture can be very helpful in preventing costly surgeries or prescription pain medication addiction. If a person seeks out acupuncture treatments when low back pain is acute, it can potentially help them avoid chronic pain.
Along these lines, there are also some things that can be done at home to help with low back pain. Acupressure uses the same concept of acupuncture without the needles. By applying pressure to specific acupoints with either a finger or a smooth rounded instrument, it is possible to decrease low back pain until an acupuncture treatment can be scheduled. Here are three acupoints that can be used to help with low back pain.
Self-acupressure is an effective way to help relieve low back pain when you are unable to get in for a treatment. These 3 points can also be used on a regular basis in between acupuncture treatments to help keep low back pain at bay.
Regardless, chronic low back pain should be evaluated to make sure that there are no structural issues that may require surgery.
Acupressure / Acupuncture Points for Low Back Pain
Large Intestine 4
This acupuncture point is located bilaterally on the back side of the hand, in the webbing between the forefinger and the thumb. When the hand is made into a fist, the point can be located in the center of the mound of flesh that is created. This point is used for relieving pain anywhere in the body.
Gallbladder 34
This point is found bilaterally on the outer side of the lower leg. It can found in the depression that is in front of and below the head of the fibula. This point is known as the influential point of the tendons.
Urinary Bladder 40
This point is located bilaterally on the crease behind the knee, right in the center, directly behind the knee cap. This point helps relieve pain along the spine. It's helpful for relieving muscle spasms and reducing pain associated with sciatic nerve involvement, which stems from the low back.
Acupuncture is so effective at treating and relieving pain, it’s now showing up in hospitals and emergency rooms.
In fact, Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota is now successfully using acupuncture in its emergency room to treat conditions ranging from car accident injuries to kidney stones.
Their initial results show pain scores are just as low with acupuncture as they are with those given analgesic painkillers.
Another positive action regarding the utilization of acupuncture came just recently. The Food and Drug Administration released proposed changes that plan to educate health care providers about treating pain. The new guidelines recommend doctors get information about acupuncture and suggest it to their patients before prescribing opioids.
With these kinds of recommendations and testimonials, it’s hard to believe only about 10% of Americans have ever tried acupuncture. But that statistic is slowly changing as more and more people are seeking natural and alternative methods of dealing with pain and disease.
