Acupuncture and Natural Therapies for Back Pain

If you suffer from Back Pain, meditation is an excellent discipline to restore health, balance, and awareness to your life.

Low back pain is the number one medical complaint in America. Millions of people struggle with both chronic and acute back pain. The Western medical approach involves the use of anti-inflammatories, cortisone shots, and surgery. While there are conditions that warrant surgical intervention, such as herniated discs that are impervious to noninvasive forms of treatment, the vast majority of chronic back pain cases can be effectively treated with natural therapies. Acupuncture is often a miraculous intervention for patients who are at the ‘breaking point’ and are just about to undergo surgery. Let’s take a look at how acupuncture works for back pain, along with a few other treatment options that can offer profoundly effective relief.

Chronic low back pain is often seen as a sign of kidney weakness in Chinese medicine. The kidneys are ‘housed’ in the lumbar region, which is the most common sight of back pain. Long-term, achy, stiff pain here is typically a sign that the functional energy (Qi) of the kidneys is deficient. Other symptoms that are typically associated with this pattern are frequent urination, low libido, anxiety, fatigue, or internal coldness. Low back pain that has not responded well to other treatments such as chiropractic care and massage therapy will often resolve with acupuncture because this therapy alone is able to address deeper levels of internal organ function.
Without strengthening the Qi of the kidneys, then treatment will not hold and the condition will stagnate or worsen. Acupuncture points are chosen that directly strengthen kidney function, which will gradually heal the discomfort felt through the lumbar region.

Back pain is often associated with an injury or trauma, such as a car accident or fall. In this case, acupuncture can also be effective in taking the patient out of a state of shock from the accident. Acupuncture is deeply restorative and balancing for the central nervous system and can resolve many of the symptoms associated with trauma. These cases are usually due to a pattern of Qi and blood stagnation, basically meaning that one’s circulation is impaired. Blood is not flowing through the painful area properly, so muscle tissue is not being properly oxygenated, which causes pain and inflammation. Acupuncture promotes circulation, thereby reducing inflammation.

Pain that is deeply lodged in the spinal column tends to be the most difficult to treat. In this case, I often recommend combining acupuncture with chiropractic care. Acupuncture works well to reduce muscle tension and promote circulation, whereas chiropractic care improves structural integrity and stabilizes the spine. I will also recommend a variety of stretching exercises and possibly nutritional and herbal strategies for this patient as well.

Herbs for Back Pain

Sciatica: Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang
Kidney deficient low back pain: Ba wei di huang wan
Pain due to Trauma: Yunnanpaiyao and shen tong zhu yu tang

Supplements for Back Pain

Alpha Lipoic Acid: For nerve damage
Bromelain: For inflammation
SAMe: For pain due to osteoarthritis
Green tea: Anti-inflammatory

Yoga

Yoga is a wonderful practice for all kinds of back pain. There are a variety of stretches that will elongate and strengthen muscle groups that are contributing to the pain. In yoga, we combine deep breathing with stretching, which adds a very powerful component in restoring balance to the nervous system and healing inflamed muscle tissue. I recommend practicing 30 minutes a day for several weeks, then assessing for changes in the pain pattern.

Dietary Strategies

Avoid any foods that provoke inflammation in the body such as coffee, refined sugar and carbohydrates, and alcohol.

If the back pain is due to kidney deficiency, then I recommend eating foods that are tonifying for the kidneys such as chicken, mutton, dark green vegetables, and grains such as millet and quinoa.

Drink 6-9 glasses of filtered water daily.

To conclude, chronic back pain usually responds very well to alternative treatment methods such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, herbs, yoga, and nutrition. It is well worth pursuing these options before surgery is considered, as the worst thing that can happen is nothing at all (which is rare). Although they are incredibly helpful in cetain cases, fusions and other surgical procedures can be a risky proposition, in that a cure of the pain is certainly not guaranteed and the recovery process can be lengthy and difficult.

Having Health Now is a 10-week intensive health care program that is custom designed to your specific needs. With its unique combination of time-tested therapies, the program has greatly helped several patients with back pain. If you have questions, call Kevin directly at (303)725-6208.