Chronic Pain

Research has shown that 80% of people suffer from acute lower back pain at some point in their lives and of these 1-2% become chronic sufferers. Acupuncture for sciatica and chronic back pain is very effective and has been validated with many studies published in major Medical Journals such as Pain.Furthermore, numerous studies provide evidence that acupuncture is a safe and effective procedure with no side effects.

The main causes of lumbar pain are:

1. Intervertebral disc herniation (disc disease) in 70%
2. Degenerative spondyloarthritis
3. Traumatic causes
4. Psychosomatic disorders
5. Organic causes such as: inflammatory microbial infections, neoplasms. congenital anomalies, diseases of neighboring organs, osteoporosis, etc.

Pain in the lower back usually occurs suddenly after a sudden movement or lifting of some weight. The pain may be localized or may also radiate to the legs, moreover, it may start from the calf or the thigh or the hips and extend to the waist. Moreover, in a number of cases there seems to be no cause for the lower back pain.

As a result, movements are limited and the sufferer has difficulty bending forward and sideways. In all cases the patient will feel a decrease in strength and an inability to perform specific movements without pain. Consequently, the pain worsens with coughing or sneezing.

Management of Chronic Back Pain

Acupuncture for Chronic Back Pain

An orthopedic surgeon needs to asses the patient in order to identify the etiology, prior to acupuncture therapy. Once the cause has been ascertained, the treatment is individualized, depending on  age, occupation and daily activities. 

Acupuncture

• Acupuncture can effectively contribute to the faster recovery of patients, as long as the primary disorder is not characterized by serious anatomical changes.
• Depending on the pathogenesis of the disease coupled with the patient’s symptoms, the acupuncture points are selected. Local and remote points are used.
• Usually needles are placed in the painful area and in addition may be connected to an electrotherapy device.

First, acupuncture increases the analgesic effect by the secretion of endogenous opioid analgesic peptides and secondly mobilization of the contracting paraspinal muscles is achieved.

This mobilization resolves:

• muscle spasm,
• increases local blood flow,
• removes lactic acid that has accumulated from prolonged muscle contraction, and further
• suppresses the inflammation involved in the creation of pain.

Additional instructions:

Weight Loss – Diet
Avoid lifting weights
Thermal baths – Fitness in the pool
Avoiding unnecessary burdens and unnecessary fatigue

References

• Sit RW, Wong W, Law SW, Wu JC. Integrative Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine service model for low back pain. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2016 Jul;54(7):539-43.
• O’Gara T, Kemper KJ, Birkedal J, Curl W, Miller N, Abadie B. Survey of Conventional and Complementary and Alternative Therapy in Patients With Low Back Pain. J Surg Orthop Adv. 2016 Spring;25(1):27-33.
• Lin R, Zhu N, Liu J, Li X, Wang Y, Zhang J, Xi C. Acupuncture-movement therapy for acute lumbar sprain: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Tradit Chin Med. 2016 Feb;36(1):19-25
• Ushinohama A, Cunha BP, Costa LO, Barela AM, Freitas PB.Effect of a single session of ear acupuncture on pain intensity and postural control in individuals with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.
  Braz J Phys Ther. 2016 Jun 16 ;0:0. 

Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in the joints. One of the most popular complementary treatments to help relieve symptoms and pain is  acupuncture.

The most common type, osteoarthritis, involves the breakdown of cartilage in joints, such as the hips and knees, and it’s particularly prevalent as people get older. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative mechanical condition that results often in joint pain and sometimes loss of function.

The most common causes of arthritis are:

• Excessive joint mobility due to instability
• Heredity
• Inflammation, infection
• Hormonal factors
• Trauma or mechanical damage
• Bad nutrition

INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS: this group includes rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that causes inflammation of the joints usually in the hands, feet, knees and hips. It is an autoimmune disease, a disease that attacks the tissues surrounding the joint. This inflammation causes swelling, pain and stiffness of the affected joints. Persistent inflammation damages cartilage and bone and leads to joint deformity.

It usually affects all the joints gradually and manifests itself with the following symptoms:

Treating Arthritis with Acupuncture

• Joint pain and stiffness
• Swelling and redness
• Fatigue, weakness, difficulty sleeping

Effect of acupuncture:

Acupuncture is a highly effective and safe method for treating arthritis. Medical acupuncture can be applied in addition to other treatments, either conventional or alternative, but it can also be applied individually.

• Acupuncture increases blood circulation and therefore calcium,
• The production of synovial fluid increases which helps the joints move smoothly,
• Reduces inflammation, swelling and
• Reduces pain.

In addition to immediate relief, acupuncture inhibits the rapid deterioration of the disease.

References

• Seca S, Kirch S, Cabrita AS, Greten HJ. Evaluation of the effect of acupuncture on hand pain, functional deficits and health-related quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis–A study protocol for a multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. J Integr Med. 2016 May;14(3):219-27.
• Attia AM, Ibrahim FA, Abd El-Latif NA, Aziz SW, Elwan AM, Abdel Aziz AA, Elgendy A, Elgengehy FT. Therapeutic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of laser acupuncture on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Lasers Surg Med. 2016 Jul;48(5):490-7.
• Jiang Y, He X, Yin X, Shen Y, Fang J. Anti-inflammatory and synovial-opioid system effects of electroacupuncture intervention on chronic pain in arthritic rats]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2015 Sep;35(9):917-21.

Chronic neck pain is a challenging condition to treat in clinical practice and has a considerable impact on quality of life and disability.Chronic neck pain can be caused by dysfunction of various structures in the neck, and it can manifest as episodic pain and/or stiffness. Neck pain can also radiate from areas close to the neck, such as the shoulder, jaw, head and arm. 

What causes neck pain?

Common causes of neck pain are  usually due to daily activities such as:

• sitting in front of a computer for hours
• poor posture
• uncomfortable sleeping position or
• trauma during exercise

Accidents or falls can also cause serious neck injuries, such as vertebral fractures,  vascular injuries and even paralysis.

Acupuncture for Neck Pain.

How Acupuncture works in the treatment of neck pain:

Acupuncture is strongly recommended for musculoskeletal diseases and pain, including neck pain. Acupuncture alleviates pain in a multifaceted way:

• Causes the release of endorphins, both locally, at the site of pain, and remotely into the central nervous system
• Disables trigger points
• Inhibits pain stimulus transmission through the spinal cord
• Activates the endogenous analgesic system in the hypothalamus.

Acupuncture therapy is the best choice for the treatment of both chronic and acute pain, as it effectively to the reduces pain, inflammation and stiffness.

References

• Berger AA, Liu Y, Mosel L, Champagne KA, Ruoff MT, Cornett EM, Kaye AD, Imani F, Shakeri A, Varrassi G, Viswanath O, Urits I. Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in the Treatment of Neck Pain. Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Apr 3;11(2):e113627.
• Seo SY, Lee KB, Shin JS, Lee J, Kim MR, Ha IH, Ko Y, Lee YJ. Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture for Chronic Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Chin Med. 2017;45(8):1573-1595.

Acupuncture is indeed an effective and safe way to help relieve acute and chronic back pain.

Lower back pain occurs in two forms:

Acute and chronic pain.

Acute pain mainly arises after an an injury such as pulling or twisting a gluteal muscle and can continue for months or even years. Thus, resulting from an acute injury, incorrect posture or some internal organic disorder. In cases of injury acupuncture for lower back pain is even more beneficial if applied immediately within 24 hours of the incident.

How Acupuncture Works

The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain, including endorphins, encephalin and other neurochemicals.

• Acupuncture accelerates the relay of electromagnetic signals in the body. Thus, the flow of pain-killing chemicals such as endorphins begin to flow. Furthermore, it may release immune system cells in the body.
• It triggers the release of natural opioids, which are chemicals in the brain that may lessen pain or promote sleep.
• Therapy with acupuncture changes brain chemistry by altering the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Neurotransmitters either stimulate or dampen nerve impulses. Neurohormones can affect the function or activity of an organ in the body.

Back pain Acupuncture

All of these changes can bring about a normalizing effect on neuroendocrine (nerve and hormone) function. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.

References 

Liu L, Skinner M, McDonough S, Mabire L, Baxter GD. Acupuncture for low back pain: an overview of systematic reviews. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015.

Furlan AD, Yazdi F, Tsertsvadze A, Gross A, Van Tulder M, Santaguida L, Cherkin D, Gagnier J, Ammendolia C, Ansari MT, Ostermann T, Dryden T, Doucette S, Skidmore B, Daniel R, Tsouros S, Weeks L, Galipeau J. Complementary and alternative therapies for back pain II. Evid Rep Technol Assess. 2010 Oct;(194):1-764.