Low Back Pain / Lower Back Pain Relief
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Many patients with chronic low back pain find that
acupuncture treatment will help not only break the pain cycle, but allow
them to reduce pain medications and participate more vigorously in physical
daily activities. Lower Back pain in Chinese medicine includes any pain,
aching, discomfort or weakness in one or both sides of the lower thoracic,
lumbar, sacral or buttock areas.
Lower back ache effects up to 80% of the population at one or more
times of their lives. The Chinese
noticed that many disorders affecting the kidneys can easily give rise to
low back pain thus calling the lower back the palace of the kidney.
History of Chinese
Medicine Treatment Of Low Back Pain Lower Back
Pain
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used to
successfully treat low back pain for thousands and thousands of years with
the use of acupuncture and herbal medicine. When looking at the entire time
line of Chinese medicine acupuncture has only been exposed to other areas
of medicine for a very short period of time.
Sir William Osler,
often considered the father of modern medicine said: "For lumbago
(lower back pain) acupuncture is, in acute cases, the most efficient
treatment." (Lumbago is an old-fashioned term for low back pain.) This
is what Sir William Osler counseled a century ago
in his classic medical text.
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Acupuncture for Lower Back Pain
Low Back Pain
How Acupuncture works for low back pain:
Ancient
Chinese believe that there is an inner energy or vital force that is more
than synapsing neurotransmittors
and vibrating molecules. This vital force or inner energy, in Traditional
Chinese Medicine, is called "QI" (pronounced chee).
Low Back Pain, or any physical dysfunction, is considered in Traditional
Chinese Medicine to be due to stagnant Qi in that area. Back Pain can also be related to Kidney,
Liver or Spleen Dysfunction and stagnation.
When using acupuncture, the inserted needles will break up this
stagnation allowing Qi to move freely within the channels alleviating low
back pain.
Acupuncture is very effective for low back pain and
generally is the treatment of choice in acute cases.
Acute Cases Of Low Back Pain - the principle
of treatment is to invigorate Qi and blood to remove stagnation and unblock
the channels to stop pain. The main
focus in acute cases is to use distal points with strong stimulation
Chronic Cases Of Low Back Pain - the
principle of treatment is to expel any pathogens invading the body,
invigorate the circulation of Qi and Blood and tonify any underlying
deficiencies. Generally in Chronic
cases points local to the area of pain and distal points would be used in
conjunction with each other.
Acupuncture Points Used
For Low Back Pain:
Distal
Acupuncture Points For Acute Low Back Pain
Liver 3, LI 4, DU 26, Yao Tong Xue
(N-UE-19), BL 40
Distal
Acupuncture Points for Acute Or Chronic Low Back Pain
Bl 60, Bl
58, Bl 59, Bl 36, BL
37,GB 30, GB 31, GB 34, GB 39, SI 3
BL 62
Local
Acupuncture Points for Low Back Pain
Ah Shi Points, Bl 23, Bl 25, Bl 54, Bl 28, Shi Qi Zhui Xia (M-BW-25), Hua Tuo Jia Ji
points
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Herbs / Formulas for
Lower back Pain
Low Back Pain
The most successful herbs for treating low back pain are
those which increase qi and blood movement in
that area. The herbs will have to
act not only on the lower back pain are but also on the organ which may be
involved in chronic cases.
Quick Summary of Formulas For Lower Back pain
Acute Low Back
Pain
Cold Damp Gan Jiang Ling Zhu Tang + Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Damp Heat Jia Wei Er Miao
San
Wind Damp Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang
Wind Cold Jing Fang Bai Du San
Wind Heat Xiao Chai Hu Tang
Blood Stagnation Huo Luo xiao Ling Dan
Chronic Low
Back Pain
Liver Qi Stagnation Tian Tai Wu Yao San
Spleen Deficiency Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Spleen Deficiency with Dampness Ping Wei San
Spleen Deficiency with knee pain and sweating Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang
Spleen Yang Deficiency with cold symptoms and edema Shi Pi Yin
Kidney Yang Deficiency You Gui Wan
Kidney Yin Deficiency Zuo Gui Wan
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PATTERNS AND TREATMENT
Of Low Back Pain
Cold
Damp Low Back Pain
Low back pain starts after exposure to cold and damp
environmental factors. Low back
feels cold when touched, achy and heavy feeling, pain feels deep and
unremitting. This pattern of pain
generally gets worse and is aggravated by cloudy, wet or cold days and does
not improve with rest or laying down.
Treatment Principle
expel cold and
damp, warm and open the channels and support the kidneys
Formulas
Gan Jiang Ling Zhu Tang
With Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Acupuncture:
Use Moxa and warm needle
technique
Damp
Heat Low Back Pain
Low back pain starts with the invasion of damp heat
through the tai yang channel or chronic cold damp which stagnation and
turns into heat. The lower back pain
will feel sore and hot when touched.
The effected are will be red and swollen and the pain is aggravated during
hot, humid or rainy weather. General
symptoms of the patient may also include feverishness, irritability and
thirst
Treatment Principle
Clear heat and dry dampness, ease the tendons and stop
lower back pain
Formulas -
Jia Wei Er Miao San
Acupuncture:
Add points kidney 7 and GB 34 to
mentioned points.
Wind
Damp Low Back Pain
Acute lower back pain with heaviness, achiness, stiffness and pain is unrelieved by changing
position or stretching. The general
symptoms of the patient will be heaviness, headaches, mild fever, chills,
possible superficial oedema and a floating
pulse.
Treatment Principle
Expel wind and dry dampness to stop lower back pain
Formulas -
Qiang Huo Sheng Shi
Tang
Acupuncture
Add Points - Lu 6, Li 4, Sp 9, Ren 12, St 36
Wind
Cold Low Back Pain
Acute low back pain not relieved by changing position or
stretching with general patient symptoms of a high fever, chills,
shivering, myalgia, stiff neck, occipital
headache, no sweating, slight cough, nasal obstruction or runny nose,
sneezing with a floating and soggy pulse.
Treatment Principle
Disperse wind cold and alleviate low back pain
Formulas -
Jing Fang Bai Du San
Acupuncture
Add points Li 4, Lu 7, GB 20, BL 12
,BL 13, use copping on ah shi points on lower back.
Wind
Heat Low Back Pain
Acute lower back ache accompanied by lower back heat sensations
unrelieved by changing positions or stretching. General patient symptoms include fever,
mild sweat, dry mouth, thirsty, sore throat, red tongue tip and a floating
rapid pulse.
Treatment
Principle
Expel wind heat and alleviate low back pain
Formulas -
Xiao
Chai Hu Tang
Acupuncture
Du 14, BL 12, LI 11, LI 4, SJ 5, copping on ah shi
points on lower back
Blood Stagnation Low Back Pain
Common type of low back pain post traumatic injury such as
lifting a heavy object or twisting and bending improperly. The pain is usually sharp in quality and
quite severe which is aggravated by pressure or palpation.
Treatment Principle
Invigorate blood circulation and regulate qi to stop lower back pain
Formulas -
Huo Luo Xiao Ling
Dan
Acupuncture
Add points BL 17, LI 4, SP 10, SP 6
Liver Qi Stagnation Low Back Pain
This pattern usually has hypertonicity
of the muscles (tense, spasm) and usually occours
in individuals under high stress or emotional patients. The lower back pain tends to be
aggravated by stress and emotional upsets and often radiates from the lower
back to the lower abdomen or hypochondriac regions. The pain may have a distending quality
which may move from place to place or come and go. General symptoms include irritability,
headaches, digestive upset, chest fullness and possible menstrual
disorders. The pulse will generally
be wiry and thready while the tongue will be
darkish in color with red edges and a thin coat.
Treatment Principle
Regulate liver qi and stop
lower back pain
Formulas - Tian Tai Wu Yao San
Acupuncture
Add points Liv 3, LI 4, GB 34,
PC 6
Spleen Deficiency with Dampness Low Back Pain
This pattern usually has hypotonicity
of the muscles (weak, emaciated) with a loss of mechanical support and hypermobility of the lumbar spine. This pattern generally gives rise to
aching and heaviness of the lower back region which may be flabby while the
patients will be commonly overweight.
They may also have some degree of digestive weakness or fluid
retention with a pale, swollen tongue and a slippery soft
pulse.
Treatment Principle
Strengthen spleen and eliminate dampness to alleviate
lower back pain
Formulas
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Ping Wei San excessive dampness
Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang
easily sweating, mild dampness, knee swelling and painful
Shi Pi Yin spleen yang deficiency with
pitting edema
Acupuncture
Add points SP 3, ST 40, ST 36, BL 20
Kidney Deficiency Kidney Qi Kidney Yin Kidney
Yang
The kidneys have a powerful influence over the tissues
of the lower back therefore if the kidneys are weak and qi
and blood are sluggish then the lower back is easily effected. Kidney Deficiency will give rise to a
chronic lower back ache or low back pain with soreness and weakness which
is improved by massage and general rest.
The pain will be recurring and is aggravated after exertion,
prolonged standing or sexual activity.
The knees and legs are commonly sore or weak as well in kidney
patterns.
Acupuncture
Add points BL 23, BL 25, Du 4, BL 52, REN 4, REN 6, KD
3, BL 60, Hua Tuo Jia Ji
Use moxa for kidney yang
deficiency.
Kidney Qi Deficiency Low Back Pain
Kidney Deficiency with - clear copious
urination, nocturia, pale lustreless
complexion, edema of lower extremities, sore knees, pale or pink tongue
with a deep thready pulse
Treatment Principle
Tonify kidney qi and
strengthen lower back
Formulas - You Gui Wan
Kidney Yang Deficiency Low Back Pain
Kidney deficiency with -
clear copious urination, nocturia, pale lustreless complexion, edema of lower extremities, sore
knees, generally cold, dislike of cold, wet swollen tongue and a slow
pulse.
Treatment Principle
Support and strengthen the lower back and tonify the
kidneys and support the kidney yang.
Formula - You Gui Wan
Kidney Yin Deficiency Low Back Pain
Kidney deficiency with intolerance of heat, occasional
urinary irritation, tinnitus, dizziness, facial flushing, nightsweats, sensation of heat in the palms and soles
and chest, red tongue with no coat and a thready
rapid pulse.
Treatment Principle
Tonify kidneys and nourish kidney yin to strengthen and
support lower back
Formulas Zuo Gui Wan
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