Low Back Pain Causes And Cures
Are you experiencing low back pain? Are you also caught in a vicious cycle of overthinking, worrying, and being stressed out? Like most people suffering from back pain, this problem has been plaguing you for months, or years, and it only gets worse during the holidays, on long trips, or when your stress level has maxed out. Acupuncture to the rescue! Back pain is the number one complaint we see in the Acupuncture by Andrea office, and statistically it is the main health issue being treated by acupuncturists nationwide.
A variety of factors led to your original back pain and not all can be fixed with one type or session of treatment. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pain is due to stagnation, or lack of blood flow. If the overall function of the organs and blood isn’t at an optimal level, all processes in your body begin to slow down and eventually get stuck. This doesn’t happen overnight. People tend to think they lifted a heavy object once or did a tough workout and hurt themselves and their back pain resulted. Actually, the pain was a result of a slow buildup of many contributing factors over time. When the body is under continued stress for a long period whether from physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual stressors, it becomes weakened.
Acupuncture and TCM approach back pain differently than other medical systems that treat this condition. I practiced massage for many years, and I have treated numerous patients with back pain issues. I was dismayed to find out that although massage brings miraculous results for back pain sufferers (and many other complaints), it cannot fix the underlying problem. Nor can invasive back or spinal surgery, or prescription medications.
What Can be Done About Low Back Pain?
A proper diet is essential for good health, and how you eat can contribute to your back pain issues. During the holiday season, when we are overindulging in more alcohol and carbohydrates, this can influence our digestive system by bogging it down, creating back pain due to lack of movement in the intestines. Not coincidentally, acupuncture points used to treat back pain are found on the digestive organ meridians of the small and large intestine and gallbladder.
Sitting too long can be injurious to the back as well. Imagine yourself when you’re seated—the 90-degree angle of your body is just enough to slow down intestinal flow and cause back pain flare ups. So, get up and and move around during your day to keep your organs and digestion properly functioning. Drinking plenty of fluids, stretching and deep breathing for 5-10 minutes every hour will also move your blood and fluids while helping to destress your body.
Speaking of stress, it can also be a cause of back pain. Daily encounters with stressful thoughts and situations has a negative effect that is cumulative unless there is a generous break from it through treatment and lifestyle change.
Your low back is a point of weakness simply by nature of the human body shape. Acupuncture, deep breathing, meditation, massage and time off from the factors that stress you can help keep your blood pressure regulated and the blood flowing while strengthening the kidneys, which govern the lower back.
Pregnancy and Back Pain
A lot of women experience back pain while pregnant. This often occurs at the start of pregnancy as the body begins to adjust to the changes and re-allocation of blood to the fetus. Back pain can also occur as the pregnancy progresses and the mother is standing or sitting excessively; weight gain and hormone fluctuations can also contribute to back pain. As the tendons and ligaments start to loosen and stretch, this can cause a strain on the joints of the body. Acupuncture is very safe and very effective in treating back pain throughout the length of the pregnancy. Massage is also effective in managing low back pain during pregnancy. Side lying massage in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, can effectively alleviate the stress and tension in the back, as well as some myofascial manipulation on the glutes, legs and IT band. Stretching, yoga, walking and breathing exercises are all great activities to take part in throughout your pregnancy to keep the blood flowing and the pain at bay.
How to Get Pain-free and Stay There
Chinese medicine formulas for back pain can assist with acute and chronic conditions. These formulas usually center around moving the blood and fluids, relieving pain, and strengthening the body for the future. Because there are different causes for back pain and differing organ systems effected, we look at each patient’s lifestyle, area of complaint, diet, exercise and age when we take into account a formula prescription. Supplements like magnesium, turmeric and fish oil are also beneficial.
In the clinic low back pain is often accompanied by hip and groin pain, sciatica, and neck pain. Most of these issues will be resolved along with the back pain as treatments are two and three-fold. Once a patient’s acute pain is gone other seemingly unrelated issues like insomnia will also improve. As the sources of the pain are uncovered and new lifestyle patterns are established, recovery time speeds up. At this point many patients want to know more about how they can assist in their own wellness. At the Acupuncture by Andrea clinic we can help you get on track. Dietary recommendations are usually the first line of defense in prevention of future episodes. We can provide you with a list of recommended TCM foods as well as those to avoid. Information and resources on exercise and stretching, group fitness classes, and instructors in the local area to assist in a patient’s regimen are also available. Counselors, therapists, church groups, running groups and other supportive resources can be helpful in aiding individuals under constant stress.
Whether you’ve been suffering from back pain for years without true relief, or you’ve recently become affected, get in touch with Acupuncture by Andrea to schedule a consultation and treatment to get PAIN FREE!