Lower Back Pain Treatments
North Brisbane Lower Back Pain Treatment
ACUPUNCTURE AND BACK PAIN
ACUPUNCTURE IMPROVES CHRONIC BACK PAIN INCLUDING NECK PAIN AND ARTHRITIC PAIN.
A STUDY DONE IN BERLIN ON PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC BACK PAIN OVER AN EIGHT WEEK PERIOD, RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PAIN LEVELS IN THE PATIENCE THAT RECEIVED THE ACUPUNCTURE VERSES PATIENTS NOT RECEIVING ACUPUNCTURE. CLINICAL TRIALS INVOLVED OVER 17,000 PATIENTS THE RESULTS SHOWED PATIENTS RECEIVING ACUPUNCTURE HAD LESS PAIN THAN PATIENTS IN THE PLACEBO CONTROL GROUP.
ACUPUNCTURE CAN BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT ANALGESIC MODIALITY GIVING PATIENTS A CHOICE OF A NATURAL TREATMENT OR PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT.
PAIN MANAGEMENT WITH ACUPUNCTURE MAY WORK VIA THE GATE CONTROL THEORY. PAIN IS TRANSMITTED THROUGH SMALL NERVE FIBERS FROM THE SKIN THROUGH THE SPINAL CORD UP TO THE BRAIN. ALSO, PRESENT ARE LARGER FIBERS WHICH SEND INHIBITORY SIGNALS TO THE SMALL PAIN FIBERS THEREBY GATING OR PREVENTING A PAIN SIGNAL FROM BEING SET OFF. PAIN STIMULUS COMES IN THEN THE ACTIVITY IN THE SMALL NERVE FIBERS OVERWHELMS THE LARGE NERVE FIBERS, INHIBITION IS RELEASED AND PAIN GATES OPEN. WHEN ACUPUNCTURE NEEDLES ARE INSERTED, THEY STIMULATE THE LARGE NERVE FIBERS RESULTING IN IN THE SMALL NERVE FIBERS BEING INHIBITED THEREBY PREVENTING PAIN.
ACUPUNCTURE RELEASES THE BODYS NATURAL ENDORPHINS THE FEEL-GOOD CHEMICALS WHICH ALSO AIDS IN QUELLING PAIN.
THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF BACK PAIN. BACK PAIN IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR EVERY PERSON.
HERNIATED DISC – CAUSES EXCRUCIATING PAIN.
MUSCLE STRAIN – CAN RANGE FORM MILD TO DEBILITATING
THE BACK IS SUBJECTED TO VARIOUS STRONG FORCES SUCH AS TWISTING, POOR POSTURE, SUDDEN JOLTS. THE SPINES MANY INTERCONNECTED AND OVERLAPPING STRUCTURES ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING INJURED AND PRODUCING BACK PAIN. THERE ARE LARGE MUSCLES THAT SUPPORT THE SPINE. SPINAL NERVES THAT EXIT THE SPINAL CANAL AND MAY GO THE LEGS OR ELSEWHERE.FACET JOINTS THAT CONNECT THE VERTEBRAE ALONG THE BACK OF THE SPINE. INTERVERTEBRAL DISCS THAT PROVIDE SHOCK ABSORPTION FOR THE BONES.
TYPES OF BACK PAIN
CONFINED TO ONE SPOT OR REGION.CAN BE SHARP, DULL COMES AND GOES, CONSTANT OR THROBBING. E.G:
- MUSCLE STRAIN.
- FACET JOINTS AND ANNULAR TEARS IN DISCS.
- LOWER BACK PAIN THAT GETS WORSE WITH CERTAIN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SPORTS OR WITH CERTAIN POSITIONS SUCH AS SITTING OR STANDING FOR LONG PERIODS.
- LOWER BACK PAIN THAT IS RELIEVED BY REST.
- CONFINED TO THE LOW BACK AREA.
AXIAL PAIN IS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF LOW BACK PAIN IT USUALLY IS NON-SPECIFIC AND SYMPTOMS ARE USUALLY SELF LIMITING AND RESOLVE WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND TIME.
CHARACTERIZED AS DULL AND ACHY, HAS A TENDENCY TO MOVE AROUND AND VARY IN INTENSITY. E.G:
- LOWER BACK DEGENERATIVE DISC REFERRING PAIN TO THE HIPS AND POSTERIOR THIGHS.
- FELT IN THE LOW BACK AREA AND RADIATES TO GROIN, BUTTOCKS, UPPER THIGH AND DOWN THE LEGS.
- SCIATICA.
DESCRIBED AS ELECTRIC SHOCK TYPE PAIN OR SEARING PAIN. RADICULAR PAIN FOLLOWS THE PATHWAY OF SPINAL NERVES AS THEY EXIT THE SPINAL CANAL. E.G:
- COMPRESSION, SCIATICA, HERNIATED DISC
- INFLAMMATION TO A SPINAL NERVE ROOT.
- RADICULOPATHY WITH WEAKNESS AND OR NUMBNESS.
- SPINAL STENOSIS, SPONDYLOLISTHESIS,
CERVICAL SPINE NERVES TRAVEL THROUGH ARMS, HANDS AND FINGERS. NECK PROBLEMS MAY AFFECT THE CERVICAL NERVE ROOT CAUSING PAIN AND OTHER SYMPTOMS THROUGH THE ARM AND HAND. LOWER BACK PROBLEMS MAY AFFECT THE LUMBAR NERVE ROOT RESULTING IN LEG PAIN AND OR FOOT PAIN.
SPEAK TO AN ACUPUNCTURIST TODAY
HEALTH IS WEALTH.