Low Back Pain and Sciatica

Back pain in the lower back or low back pain is not a specific disease, it is a symptom that may occur from a variety of different processes. In up to 85% of people with low back pain, despite a thorough medical examination, no specific cause of the pain can be identified.

Back Pain and Acupuncture therapy

• Musculoskeletal pain syndromes that produce low back pain include myofascial pain syndromes and fibromyalgia.
• Injuries: Spine injuries such as sprains and fractures can cause either short-lived or chronic pain. Sprains are tears in the ligaments that support the spine, and they can occur from twisting or lifting improperly. Fractured vertebrae are often the result of osteoporosis, a condition that causes weak, porous bones. Less commonly, back pain may be caused by more severe injuries that result from accidents and falls.

• Nerve root syndromes are those that produce symptoms of nerve impingement (a nerve is touched), often due to a herniation (or bulging) of the disc between the lower back bones. Sciatica is an example of nerve root impingement, Spinal stenosis and Spinal degeneration.

• Other Acquired conditions and diseases: Many medical problems can cause or contribute to back pain. They include scoliosis, which causes curvature of the spine and does not usually cause pain until mid-life; spondylolisthesis; various forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. While osteoporosis itself is not painful, it can lead to painful fractures of the vertebrae. Other causes of back pain include pregnancy; kidney stones or infections; endometriosis, which is the buildup of uterine tissue in places outside the uterus; and fibromyalgia, which causes fatigue and widespread muscle pain.
• Infections and tumors: They are not common causes of back pain, infections can cause pain when they involve the vertebrae, a condition called osteomyelitis, or when they involve the discs that cushion the vertebrae, which is called discitis. Tumors, too, are relatively rare causes of back pain. Occasionally, tumors begin in the back, but more often they appear in the back as a result of cancer that has spread from elsewhere in the body.
• Although the causes of back pain are usually physical, it is important to know that emotional stress can play a role in how severe pain is and how long it lasts. Stress can affect the body in many ways, including causing back muscles to become tense and painful.

In the early stage of low back pain, acupuncture mostly have good result for relief the pain, many acute low back pains can be reliefed after first treatment with one or few needles. The chronic back pain or stiffness may improve after few time of the treatment, some take more long time to get benefit. Acupuncture also can do pain management by couple times treatment between a year.

The None Primary low back pain, acupuncture therapy may relief the pain but need original cause treatment for like osteoporosis, arthritis or tumor.

Prevention

• Qigong and mostly Chinese traditional exercises like Tai-ji. Xin-yi, all those can get huge benefits from back pain to whole body wellness, but often take long time training and exercise.
• Lumbar support belts: Workers who frequently perform heavy lifting are often required to wear these belts. There is no proof that these belts prevent back injury. One study even indicated that these belts increased the likelihood of injury.
• Standing: While standing, keep your head up and stomach pulled in. If you are required to stand for long periods of time, you should have a small stool on which to rest one foot at a time. Do not wear high heels.
• Sitting: Chairs of appropriate height for the task at hand with good lumbar support are preferable. To avoid putting stress on the back, chairs should swivel. Automobile seats should also have adequate low-back support. If not, a small pillow or rolled towel behind the lumbar area will provide adequate support.
• Sleeping: Individual tastes vary. If the mattress is too soft, many people will experience backaches. The same is true for sleeping on a hard mattress. Trial and error may be required. A piece of plywood between the box spring and mattress will stiffen a soft bed. A thick mattress pad will help soften a mattress that is too hard.

• Low Back Pain Case

  Case One
  53 years old Male, patients with low back pain for over two years, whenever he had an overcast and rainy days increase, accompanied by left lower extremity limb pain, unable to walk, restless, coughing pain increased. Check cooperation, next to the fifth lumbar tenderness, tenderness to the lower limb mass line, leg lift test in (+), at 35 degrees or less, limited mobility left leg. Tongue coating Bai Ni, quality dark red. The patient felt the wind cold dampness evil, blocking the meridians, numb and not pass. Promoting blood circulation, dispels wind and pain.
  Prescription: Acupuncture 17 paravertebral, huanzhong .
  treatment: Acupuncture 2 times per day, continue treat seven times, the pain disappeared.

  Case Two
  A female, 38 years old, the teaching profession. Five years ago, caused by low back pain due to pregnancy, as treatment like rheumatism, disorders, kidney insufficient, trauma and other ineffective. To stand 1 hour for each lecture the need to bed-ridden body rates a moment. Eating as normal, urine normal and normal menstruation, leucorrhea more. Check: Pulse sink, pink tongue fur is thin, looking chlorosis. Zhulinqie,points and Du Channel Mingmen points tenderness reaction. Meridian of the QI energy barrier caused by low back pain, hot and humid place downstream, then the leucorrhea more. Pathogenesis of in Dai Channel, sickness and located in the waist. Treatment in order to pass through Channel Qi energy.
  Prescription: ① Mingmen, remain intradermal needle; ② Zhulinqie points
  acupuncture needles will remain here after 15 minutes, every 5 minutes both sides at the same time twisting 1 minute. After the treatment, lumbar no pain, so easily. But the tenderness response has not disappeared. The second visit, patient feels tired. Third visit attending leucorrhea decreased significantly. Fourth visit consultation responses are still tenderness. To continue to needle two times, tenderness response to disappear, clinical cure. To by more than a month, low back pain did not attack.
  Acupuncture is the key to knowledge of clinical pathogenesis, clear location, application manipulation, all three are indispensable.

• Lumbago (back pain)
  Female 38 years old, teachers, five years ago, because of lower back pain caused by childbirth, had by rheumatism, fatigue, kidney, trauma and other treatment ineffective. 1 hour for each lecture, it will take a short bed body of interest. Diet ok, urine normal, normal menstruation, leucorrhea more.

  Examination: pulse Sink in, tongue red moss thin, looking chlorosis. Post zhulinqi tenderness allergic reaction, Du Channel Mingmen points tenderness reaction. Belted waist, as the state
  Diagnosis: The channel Qi energy is not smooth that cause back pain, hot and humid place bets, then the leucorrhea more. Pathogenesis of in-band pulse, sickness and located in the waist.
  Governance in order to pass through the Qi energy conductivity method.
  Prescription: ① Mingmen, leave intradermal needle; ② zhulinqi.
  After the treatment, acupuncture needles will remain here after 15 minutes, every 5 minutes both sides at the same time twisting 1 minute. Lumbar after needle that is, no pain, so easily. But the tenderness response has not disappeared. Two cases after self-inductance of fatigue. 3 attending leucorrhea decreased significantly. 4 consultation responses are still tenderness. To continue to needle two times, tenderness response to disappear, clinical cure. As of after more than a month, low back pain did not attack.
  Acupuncture is the key to knowledge of clinical pathogenesis, clear parts, application of needle manipulation, all three are indispensable. The so-called pathogenesis is to grasp based on physical strength, predisposing factors, course of a long suspense, the sick card conversion, meridian comprehensive clinical patient information and other information on comprehensive evaluation. Be part of the time, including disease site, lesion site and associated with acupuncture. Needle manipulation practices, in order to impose such needles to stimulate the strong and weak, in order to get a sense of Qi, may tonic or laxiative. Can not confuse the reverse compatibility. Therefore, the amount should be sought to stimulate acupuncture adapt to the symptoms of the diseas.

• Arthralgia syndrome (sciatica)
  Male, 53 years old, patients with low back pain for over two years, whenever he had an overcast and rainy days increase, accompanied by left lower extremity limb pain, unable to walk, restless, coughing when the pain increased. Check cooperation, next to the fifth lumbar tenderness, tenderness to the lower limb mass line, leg lift test in (+), at 35 degrees or less. Limited mobility left leg. Color white and greasy tongue coating, quality dark red. The patient felt the wind cold dampness evil, blocking the meridians, numb and not pass. Expelling blood circulation and pain relief of congestion dispel wind evil.
  Prescription: Acupuncture 17 paravertebral, ring in the hole.
  After the treatment: Acupuncture 1 a day, even the pin seven times, the pain disappeared.

  If you are interested in finding out more about your symptoms and what acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can do for you, contact us today.