Acupuncture and herbs are strong weapons in your arsenal of treatments for back pain. They are an adjunct to physical therapy and exercises, and they stand alone as one of the few modalities that not only relieves pain but restores health of the local area. Acupuncture can help mitigate fatigue and pain that can accompany recovery or flare-ups. Additionally, it can help heal the site of injury by bringing more Qi and Blood to the area.

While I have had extensive experience over the past 14 years in treating many athletes and patients with back pain, I also have experienced debilitating pain and injury first-hand. This experience inspired my extensive research and exploration into recovery from debilitating back injury and pain using Orthopedic Acupuncture as well as other modalities. Unfortunately, it’s all too common to see practitioners and patients alike who prescribe or follow standard “cookie cutter” physical therapies that exacerbate certain injuries. There has been extensive research in the field of back pain by doctors and other practitioners whose work can help explain why certain exercises work and why others do not. In addition to acupuncture treatments, I'm happy to help patients retrain themselves on how to avoid injury, restore range of motion and work toward back endurance and core strength. I offer high-quality referrals to physical therapists, bodyworkers, and neurosurgeons when needed, and am happy to work in concert with your current team if you have one.

How Acupuncture Works in Treating Lower Back Pain

Diagnosis in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, lower back pain is usually diagnosed as local Qi and Blood stagnation and/or deficient Kidney Qi, Yin, or Yang. When there is a traumatic injury, Qi and Blood are usually stagnant at the local area. Acupuncture brings Qi and Blood to the area to disperse blood and reduce inflammation. It reconnects Qi pathways that have been damaged so the Qi can flow smoothly, thereby alleviating pain. It calms the mind and the body while speeding the healing process.

When there is no known traumatic event that caused the injury, we can usually discover a historic pattern of recurring micro-insults to the tissue, ligaments, muscles, or disc that have resulted in stress to the spine. In these cases, Chinese medicine's view is that over-work, exhaustion and over-responsibility drain essential life force, making the area weak and less potent. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can be used to restore vitality to your body and the local area.

Orthopedic Testing

In addition to using diagnostic approaches of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at Shen Bai Acupuncture of Santa Monica we also use standard Western orthopedic testing to discern whether the cause of the back pain is related to muscle tightness or weakness, structural weakness or impairment, nerve impingement, repetitive motion, or internal illness. We take special care to perform these tests in a manner that will not exacerbate your symptoms. We assess the movements that make your back pain worse, identify whether this pain is acute or chronic, and confirm whether structural weaknesses or injuries are likely present. For women, we assess whether there is a hormonal component or whether the pain varies with your monthly cycle.

Treatment & Prognosis

For acute back pain (no prior history and within the first three days of immobility), acupuncture is extremely effective – often seemingly miraculous – to restore range of movement and alleviate pain. Generally, for first time back sufferers who have just experienced pain not related to a specific trauma, acupuncture can help resolve the crisis in 1 to 3 visits.

For chronic back pain, acupuncture and herbs can relieve pain, relax muscles, and calm the emotional trauma that often surrounds the injury and its dramatic effects on daily life. Most importantly, over time, acupuncture can help restore the tissue. Recent research has linked acupuncture with improvement and stabilization with the highest rate of improvement occurring after three months of regular treatment in chronic cases. If you have a recent history of back pain (one to three years), you can recover easily within a period ranging from three to twelve weeks. If you have lived with chronic or repetitive injuries and/or you have had surgery on your back, we recommend acupuncture as part of your recovery and maintenance program throughout life. While you will notice an improvement in your pain and structure within three months, we recommend regular treatment to prevent further injury and restore health long-term.

Treatment of back pain involves acupuncture, herbs, oils, infrared heat, TENS or electrical stimulation, prescribed exercises, and/or cupping. Depending on your TCM diagnosis, local ice massage may be prescribed and a short period of NSAIDs may be encouraged if you have been in chronic pain with no relief for an extended period of time.

Western Treatments for Back Pain

Common treatments for back pain include NSAIDs, Steroids, Narcotics and Surgery. See Pain for a description of some of the side effects of these drug protocols. Surgery carries its own sets of risks (the principal one being recurrence of the injury) and while sometimes warranted is too often seen as panacea.