WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?
Arthritis is a disorder affecting one or more joints of the body. It is characterized as inflammation, pain, and stiffness of the joints. Arthritis can also present as redness, warmth, swelling and decreased range of motion in the affected joint or joints. Onset can be gradual or sudden.
Facts About Arthritis
There are actually over 100 different classifications of arthritis. The two most common forms of arthritis seen clinically are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that usually occurs with age and affects the fingers, knees and hips. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that often affects the hands and feet.
WHAT IS LOW BACK PAIN - SCIATICA?
Back pain is pain felt anywhere along the back that usually originates from the muscles, nerves, and joints around the spine. The pain can range for cervical (neck pain), the upper thoracic area (upper back pain), mid to low thoracic (mid-back pain), or the lumbar, sacral, and coccyx area (lower back pain).
Low Back Pain Facts
Low back pain is one of the two most common forms of back pain seen at the clinic, the other is neck pain. Low back pain is becoming an increasing problem in the modern age, as more and more of the population finds itself working at a desk in front of a computer for multiple hours a day. Excess forward bending is an increasing problem causing people to have low back pain. It is very common that in addition to low back pain, patients have sciatica as an accompaniment to their low back pain.
Facts About Sciatica
Sciatica, is radiculopathy going down the legs or to the groin, originating from the nerves in lower back. Radiculopathy can be a tingling or numbness sensation, a burning sensation or a dull to sharp pain. Sciatic pain is caused by a pinched nerve in the lumbar or sacral spine. A pinched nerve is when a nerve is compressed or actually pinched at its root. A pinched nerve can be due to several reasons, however the most common seen at the clinic are due to either muscular tension, bulging-herniated disc, or foraminal stenosis. When the soft tissues of the body (muscles, tendons and ligaments) are tense, they can wrap around the nerve compressing or pinching it at its root, this usually produces a dull aggravating sensation. When a patient presents with a bulging-herniated disc, the disc has moved to an improper position and during certain movements the disc will pinch the nerve at its root producing a very sharp stabbing sensation. When a patient has foraminal stenosis there is a narrowing of the canal where the nerve root originates from, which compresses the nerve at its root. Foraminal stenosis can produce a dull aggravating sensation or a sharp stabbing sensation that can alternate.
Acupuncture For Low Back Pain - Sciatica
When treating low back pain with or without sciatica the treatment method and strategy will remain the same. The muscular system is the root cause of all of problems associated with low back pain and sciatica.
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The muscles attach to tendons which attach to to the bones. When the body has an excess of muscular tension it can causes pain in it of itself, as well as wrap to tightly around the nerves and pinch or compress the nerves.
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However muscular tension can cause other issues as well. When the muscles and tendons are very tight it can put pressure on the bones they attach too (in this case they attach to the spine). When the muscles and tendons cause excess pressure on the spine it can cause a narrowing in the intervertebral spaces (spinal stenosis). The intervertebral spaces are where the discs are and when that space is reduced it can cause the disc to become compressed and ultimately to bulge or herniate due to the pressure pinching the nerve.
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The muscles and tendons can also put pressure on the neural foramina causing foraminal stenosis which compresses or pinches the nerve root.
In the clinic we use acupuncture, cupping, electric stimulation, and heat therapy to reduces muscular tension and thus any pressure on the spine, discs and or nerves. In 90% of patients treated we are able to reduces symptoms by 80% within 6-12 treatments.
Acupuncture Vs Western Medicine
In Western Medicine, there is a wide variety of pharmaceutical medications prescribed for low back pain or low back pain with sciatica. Sometimes patients will get epidural steroid injections in the lumbar spine. The method of action for pharmaceutical pain medication or epidural steroid injections are the same. They primarily block the brains pain receptors so the brain can't perceive pain in the local area. The danger of these medications or epidural steroid injections, lies within their success.
By blocking the brains ability to perceive pain without providing adequate treatment for the root cause of the problem makes the patient vulnerable by the illusion of feeling better. Now the patient is able to do activities that the pain would have prevented them from doing but the body should not be doing. This causes further damage. Once the pain medication or epidural steroid injection wears off, pain is usually much worse due to the damaged caused by the patient who resumed normal activity while the root of the problem remained untreated.
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In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we will work on the root of the problem (muscular tension). This will alleviate pain caused by muscular tension or pain caused pressure to the spine, discs, or nerves from that muscular tension. We will use methods like acupuncture, cupping, massage, and electric stimulation to alleviate muscular tension and help the patient become free from pain. Patients will also be taught excises so they are able to maintain a pain free lifestyle long after they have completed a successful round of 6-12 treatments.
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