Lumbago is often caused by overuse of the lumbar muscles, rheumatic inflammation, injuries to the lumbar spine and intervertebral disc injuries. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) assumes that a blockage of the lumbar meridians, a poor circulation of Qi and blood or a lack thereof in the body can lead to lumbago. For the different types of lumbago, we use acupuncture, massage and Chinese herbal medicine for a comprehensive treatment that is very effective and usually leads to improvement or cure after 5 to 10 sessions.
Symptoms
Movement restrictions
Back pain or tingling, possibly with radiation
Sensory disturbances in the leg or foot
Tingling in the buttocks, leg and/or foot
Paralysis symptoms
Wandering pain
Acupuncture relieves pain by unblocking the meridians, promoting the circulation of qi and blood, regulating muscle tone and improving local pathological musculofascial abnormalities. Acupuncture can have an immediate effect on acute pain. The meridians are reopened and the back and kidneys are warmed so that the body is supplied with sufficient qi and blood and the pain disappears.
An American College of Physicians (ACP) clinical practice guideline for the non-invasive management of acute, subacute and chronic low back pain (American Annals of Internal Medicine, 14 February 2017) recommends a range of non-pharmacological treatments, including acupuncture, as "first-line therapy", with pharmacological treatments only considered when non-pharmacological treatments fail. Acupuncture is the only recommended first-line treatment for both acute and chronic low back pain. The guideline recommends that for acute low back pain, subacute low back pain and chronic low back pain lasting less than three months, non-pharmacological treatments are preferred, with acupuncture, heat, massage or spinal manipulation (medical massage) being recommended. For chronic low back pain lasting longer than three months, a combination of exercise, comprehensive rehabilitation, Tai Chi, yoga, movement control exercises and progressive relaxation therapy is recommended in addition to acupuncture treatment.