Low back pain can be acute, sub-acute or chronic, and the causes of low back pain can vary significantly between individuals. The majority of cases are due to soft tissues and mechanical injuries from acute or chronic overuse, car accidents, heavy lifting or more. In other cases, low back pain can stem from irregularities in the structures forming the spine, such as in scoliosis or lordosis. It is important to visit your healthcare practitioner determine the cause of your back pain before finding the proper treatments.
Different causes of low back pain include the following:
Muscle strain
Ligament sprain
Herniated/ protruding discs
Scoliosis
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Spinal Stenosis
Spondylolysis (stress fracture)
Spondylolithesis
Spinal Stenosis
Muscle tightness- hip flexors, hamstrings
In most cases, low back pain can be managed and/ or resolved through various combinations of regular acupuncture treatments, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, core strengthening exercises, stretching, and light exercise. Each form of treatment offers a slightly different benefit, and all can create space in the tissues to alleviate nerve compression, release “knots” in the muscle (twisted and torn fascia bundles), allow for smoother movement and/or increase stability in each of the affected joints.
The in-depth study of fascia and the interstitium is gaining popularity in recent years, and offers many insights into how our body perceives pain, as well as how a variety of therapies work to minimize pain. Every tissue and organ in your body is connected to the fascia network, which contains collagen fibers that conduct electricity. Fascia is how the body communicates the location of your body parts to your brain, known as proprioception. It is also responsible for letting your brain know when your muscle is being overstretched or damaged.
Muscles are covered in fascia and are lubricated by interstitial fluid in the interstitium, and glide over one another without friction. When the overall fluid balance in the body shifts locally, or systemically it can affect the muscles and joints, and create pressure and triggers pain. If there is trauma to an area, the area becomes inflamed and produces pain signals. These signals travel through fascia to the nervous system, and is processed by the brain. In the healing process, the body repairs and restructures the tissue to restore flow of fluid, blood and oxygen.
Acupuncture and low back pain
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating low back pain. Because there is no specific treatment that can work in every case of low back pain, creating a standard treatment protocol with acupuncture is difficult. The key to improving your pain with acupuncture working consistently with your acupuncturist to find the right treatments that bring relief in your individual case. Here, we’ll share with you how acupuncture works to help get you relief:
Acupuncture uses tiny needles to help your body direct healing to a specific area of the body. It helps speed up the healing process by increasing circulation of blood, nutrients, immune cells and oxygen. Acupuncture points are located along channels observed between the muscles. Every muscle fiber is wrapped in a dynamic connective tissue called fascia, and muscle fibers are grouped into bundles by more fascia.
The in-depth study of fascia and the interstitium is gaining popularity in recent years, and offers many insights into how our body perceives pain, as well as how a variety of therapies work to minimize pain. Every tissue and organ in your body is connected to the fascia network, which contains collagen fibers that conduct electricity. Fascia is how the body communicates the location of your body parts to your brain, known as proprioception.
Muscles are covered in fascia and are lubricated by interstitial fluid in the interstitium, and glide over one another without friction. When the overall fluid balance in the body shifts locally, or systemically it can affect the muscles and joints, and create pressure and pain. If there is trauma to an area, the area becomes inflamed and produces pain. Through the healing process, the body repairs and restructures the tissue to restore flow of fluid, blood and oxygen.
When the acupuncture needle is inserted into a point, the energy or force put into the body (as in physics) creates a shift in the system and allows the fascia to reform. Acupuncture needles send signals through the fascial network (the connective tissue in your body)and the surrounding tissues. The brain releases a number of neurotransmitters, including monoamines (endorphins and serotonin) which improve pain and affect moods.
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