If you’ve ever thrown your back out, you know it’s a pretty frightening and acutely painful experience. It can happen suddenly and without any warning, and when it does you may be unsure of what to do. Sharp, agonizing back pain can show up when you’re engaged in heavy lifting, like carrying boxes from one room to the next, but it can also hit when you’re doing something simple and routine, like bending over to pick up a pen. Not only does back pain hurt, but it can affect your range of motion and quality of life as well.
So what should you do when your back goes out? Get yourself to the acupuncturist. Specifically, get yourself to the acupuncturist who knows trigger point (dry needling) therapy. Nearly 8 out of 10 people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is one of the top conditions that lead patients to seek medical treatment, which can often offer no more than pain-killers and anti-inflammatory drugs. When it comes to diagnosing back pain, it’s important to note that there are several potential causes with different remedies to match. Back pain could arise from a muscle spasm or a disk injury, for example. Less commonly, an infection or a tumor might be to blame.
Fortunately, as studies have shown, acupuncture can be very effective in treating back pain. In fact, the number one reason people seek acupuncture therapy in the first place is to get relief from back pain. It happens to be one of the most successful treatments that we offer here at Rivertown Acupuncture. In the case of back pain caused by a muscle injury, trigger point release will do more than treat pain; it will resolve the cause of pain for lasting relief. In the case of acute spasm of back, it’s typically one large muscle — the quadratus lumborum (QL) — that needs care. If the injury is acute, sometimes just one treatment can resolve the injury and make a huge difference right away.
In general, acupuncture treatment promotes healthy circulation and releases blocked energy, which can relieve pain for a variety of conditions including back pain. It also helps reduce any inflammation that may exist at the site of the injury. Many patients say that they find the treatment itself relaxing. If your back has gone out and you are having trouble moving comfortably, acupuncture can help relieve your pain and restore your back to good health in short order so you can move freely and comfortably once again.
