Low back pain is usually triggered by a combination of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments and discs that support the spine. This leads to tension on muscles, bones, discs and ligaments making the low back prone to injury.
Symptoms of lower back pain include:
- Stabbing or shooting pain
- Muscle ache
- Pain radiating down the leg
- Inability to stand straight
- Limited flexibility
- Limited range of motion
Most common causes of lower back pain:
- Strained muscles or ligaments
- Improper or heavy lifting
- Injury or overuse
- Sudden or awkward movements
- Structural problems such as sciatica, arthritis, ruptured discs, skeletal irregularities
Risk factors that increase development of lower back pain include:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Aging
- Physically strenuous work
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sedentary job
Acupuncture treatments provide a safe, natural way to alleviate lower back pain. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sees the human body as an integrated being. It works with vital energies inherent within all living things to promote the body’s ability to heal itself. Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a vital energy that flows through meridians, pathways that run throughout the entire body. Qi protects the body from illness and provides nourishment to cells, tissues, muscles and organs. During acupuncture treatments, fine, sterile needles are inserted at specific acupoints along these meridians to release Qi, unblock obstructions and correct imbalance.
Acupuncture Help Back Pain:
- Clear nerves compression/pinched nerves
- Increase blood circulation
- Relax the stiffened muscles
- Reduce inflammation
- Promote tissues healing
- Provide natural pain relief
- Improve range of movement and/or flexibility
- Deactivate the vicious circle of pain
- Increase amounts of brain chemicals such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine
Acupuncture practitioners recommend a holistic health approach inclusive of herbal remedies, massage and stretching. According to Eastern holistic medicine, treatment of lower back pain requires lifestyle changes with overall health as its goal.
- Exercise increases flexibility, maintains weight and strengthens muscles
- Diets including anti-inflammatories, unprocessed and organic foods
- Stress reduction through breath, meditation and yoga
- Achieving a balance of rest and relaxation
