Lower back pain has become one of the most common problems in modern society and can affect anyone.
The lumbar spine is located between two parts of the spine and is always subjected to stress. Below the lumbar spine is the sacrum, and above it is the heavy but flexible thoracic and cervical spine, which help maintain full and rapid, spontaneous ranges of motion. Additional stress is created when a person holds weight in their hands with the arms extended away from the body such as raking, yardwork or even laundry.
Every case is unique, but lower back pain caused by a musculoskeletal disorder responds very well to acupuncture treatment. Some unique advantages of using acupuncture in treating lower back pain include:
* Acupuncture treats the whole body, concentrating on the cause of the problem and not only on the area where the problem is coming from. Pain in the lower back as well as pain in the neck, upper and lower limbs can be treated at the same time.
* By promoting general well-being, acupuncture speeds up and enhances the self-healing potential of the body. Improved healing can reduce local inflammation – the essential physiologic process that causes pain.
* Acupuncture needling precisely targets and dissolves tension. It can relax muscle spasms and eases stress by balancing the nervous system. It promotes blood circulation, and reduces swelling and inflammation in strained or sprained muscles, tendons and joints.
Despite the differences in spinal anatomy, all parts of the spine are so interdependent that a problem in one part will affect all the others and can lead to a vicious cycle of pain.
The ability of acupuncture to restore function, as well as a reduction or elimination of pain, makes it an effective treatment for reducing inflammation in all soft tissues. It can rebuild injured muscles, and relieve or control most lower back pain syndromes.
Dr. Thomas DeWall, DC