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TCM and Lower Back Pain

© Matthew Scott

It is estimated that 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain at some time in their lives. It is no suprise then that there are so many different types of treatment available, for example chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture, various massage therapies, anti-inflammatory and pain-killing medications, yoga, the Alexander technique, the Bowen technique and even surgery.

Your choice of treatment usually depends on the type of doctor you consult or what you believe or hear is effective. It will also depend on the nature of your particular problem and whether it's a simple case of acute muscle strain or a chronic condition that you've had for years.

TCM can effectively treat both acute and chronic lower back pain. I should know, it's the reason I began studying Chinese medicine more than 12 years ago. After a lower back injury I sustained while working responded solely to acupuncture, I developed an immediate fascination for it and a desire to learn how and why it did what it did.

However what began for me as an acute muscle strain subsequently lead to the discovery of an underlying, chronic defect in my 5th lumbar vertebrae. While I was told the problem had probably existed since birth it was only through the constant lifting of boxes at my first full time job that I first experienced lower back pain. Although the defect is permanent it's due to TCM treatment that I live a mostly pain-free life.

TCM recognizes various causes of lower back pain. The most common is an acute blockage or stagnation of qi(vital energy) and blood in the meridians and soft tissues of the lower back due to injury. If you're unfamiliar with TCM theoretical principles, refer to my previous articles or my list of recommended links.

This type of injury often occurs as a result of lifting something heavy or light or from the bending and twisting movements central to most sporting activities. Such movements as well as poor posture place enormous stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the lumbar spine and on the spine itself. When you strain a muscle it naturally contracts and stiffens, thereby restricting your movement and preventing further damage to the area. The resulting pain is usually sharp and is aggravated by pressure to the area.

In TCM terms, the pain is due to the blockage of energy and blood flow in this area. Treatment in the first twenty-four hours for a muscle strain may be in the form of locally applied ice packs to limit inflammation. The aim of treatment then is to restore normal circulation of qi and blood in the affected area. Your therapist may use one or more of the following TCM techniques: massage, acupuncture, moxibustion (a form of heat therapy) and specific herbal medicines that move stagnant blood and stop pain.