Back pain can be described as pain on one or both sides of the lumbar region and acupuncture can help with lower back pain. It is different to sciatica although many of the symptoms may appear similar. Sciatica is marked by pain in the lower back but radiating along the course of the sciatic nerve. This means with sciatica, the main may run along the back, buttock, posterior of the thigh, posterior/lateral side of the leg and extending towards the foot.
In this article, I’ll focus on lower back pain rather than sciatica. The causes are numerous, ranging from physical injury, kidney diseases, pelvic disease, rheumatic disease or issues with the lumbar vertebra. Emotional factors and trauma could also contribute to lower back pain.
There are different pathologies in Chinese medicine that result in back pain – Cold damp invasion, Blood stasis (Xue Yu) or Kidney deficiency (Shen Xu). Traumatic emotional events can also work there way back to the kidneys leading to Kidney deficiency (Shen Xu).
To differentiate between the various symptoms we look environmental factors in the patients lifestyle and the symptoms that are manifesting.
Lower back pain caused by Cold Damp : There is a cold and heavy sensation in the back, with soreness and/or numbness. Flexibility is limited with pain radiating down to the buttocks and legs. It can be aggravated on cold, rainy days or a cold environment (e.g. a cold environment at work or your home). The tongue coating is likely to be white and sticky and the pulse will be slow.
Lower Back pain caused by Xue Yu : Xue Yu (Blood stagnation) means things are not flowing as they should resulting in restricted movement, stiffness and pain that is usually fixed in location. There may be a history of injury to the area. Acute injuries can be a cause of Xue Yu as can long term cold. A good analogy is that of a river freezing over due to cold – at first it starts slowing down, then congealing and eventually freezing. This is Xue Yu (Blood stagnation/stasis) brought on by long term cold. The tongue will be purple and the pulse will have a quality of being hesitant.
Lower Back pain caused by Shen Xu : Shen Xu (Kidney deficiency) usually develops over a period of time rather than a sudden onset. It can be constitutional in nature (what you were born with) or brought on by long term factors affecting you. There is a history of pain and soreness, tiredness, weak back and knees, possibly problems with urination or sexual functions. It is alleviated by pressure and rest.
Because Chinese medicine does not treat symptoms in isolation but looks at the body as a whole, emotional factors can also contribute to lower back pain. The emotion associated with the Kidneys is that of fear. It is often not a fear of something specific but a generic fear or paranoia. It is also worth remembering that because the Kidneys (Shen) lie at the root of our being, any excess emotion over a long period of time can work its way back to the Kidneys and contribute to lower back pain.
For Cold-Damp syndromes, generally the treatment revolves around activating Xue (blood) and moving Xue and Qi. If there is any underlying deficiency, the relevant organ will be tonified also. Both acupuncture and moxibustion may be used. If there is Xue Yu (Blood stagnation/stasis), the blockage will be cleared first.
With back pain brought on by Shen Xu (Kidney deficiency), strengthening the Kidneys is the primary route.
Often, there is no one clear cut pattern like the above and you are more likely to fall into an amalgamation. Therefore a full diagnosis should be carried out first.
Some common acupuncture points for lower back pain are displayed below.
Shenshu (Bl 23), Mingmen (Du 4), Guanyuanshu (BL 26)
Kunlun (Bl 60) – Found on the lateral side of the leg, midway between the ankle and the tendon.
Kunlun – Bl 60
Weizhong (Bl 40) – Found in the center of the back of the knee.
To rid Cold-Damp and warm Yang, points Dazhui (GV 14) may be used.
For Xue (blood) syndromes, Geshu (Bl 17) may be used.
The point Mingmen (GV 4) can be used for strengthening/tonifying the Kidneys.
This is not an exhaustive list of points. Chinese Medicine is tailored to the individual and often, points may be added or removed from the above depending on the symptoms manifesting. For instance, TaiChong (Lv 3) may be used if there is poor circulation, Hegu (LI 4) is there is pain/headaches. Tuina (massage) is also used if there is muscular pain.
Taichong (LV 3)
If pain is radiating down the leg, points like Huantiao, Fengshi, Weizhong, Fuyang, Kunlun can be used.
