“If there is free flow, there is no pain; If there is no free flow, there is pain .”
– Axiom of Traditional Chinese Medicine
One of the most common conditions that attracts people for acupuncture treatments is back pain. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) back pain will affect 8 out of 10 people at some point during their lives.* Back pain can involve any part of the back…from the neck (cervical), mid-back (thoracic), or low back (lumbar and sacrum), which can involve sciatica, or pain/numbness/tingling radiating down the leg. Depending on the cause of back pain, it can range from dull, achy, numb and constant, to a sudden, sharp or stabbing pain. Back pain tends to be acute or chronic. Acute pain will generally be of a short duration, lasting 3 months or less. If it last longer than 3 months it is then considered chronic back pain. Chronic back pain can also have acute flare-ups.
Back pain, or pain in general in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC), is viewed as some form of stagnation of stuckness in the body. TCM views the body as a series of inter-connected and inter-related channels or meridians. These meridians can be likened to rivers that flow to every part of the body bringing vital nutrients to the whole system. When these rivers get congested (think of logs, twigs, and leaves blocking a stream), this is stagnation, which can lead to pain. The cause of back pain or stagnation can be varied: external trauma, excessive physical work or overwork, invasion of Cold and Damp, underlying deficiencies, or inadequate movement, just to name a few.
Acupuncture helps to remove this stagnation, free the flow in the body and reduce or eliminate the pain. Depending on the severity and nature of your back pain, a customized treatment of acupuncture can help your body heal itself faster. This is accomplished by:
- Reducing inflammation in the affected area
- Relaxing tight and tense muscles and stopping spasms
- Improving overall circulation (or flow) which will bring nutrients, blood, oxygen and the body’s natural pain killers and anti-inflammatories to help the body heal itself
- Provide overall relaxation which helps with pain management
- Adjusting the treatment to include other modalities, such as gua sha or cupping if needed
- Boost your overall Qi so you are less susceptible to injury in the future.
So whether you have acute or chronic back pain, come in to see how acupuncture can help you heal faster, and get you back to that pain-free life you want to live.