In the book Huang Di Neijing written over two thousand years ago, it says, "Back is the mansion of the kidney. If the back cannot move, it means the kidney is weak". In the book "Jin Kui Yao Lue", which was written in the Han dynasty, it says, "Back pain with cold feeling can be as heavy as carrying five thousand coins". The cold referred to here is the cold-dampness affecting the back. Four out of five people will be crippled by back pain at sometime in their lives. In severe cases it can affect one's normal life and working capacity. Painkillers usually only relieve the pain temporarily but cannot cure the cause of the pain. In clinical terms, back pain can be caused by wind-cold, damp-heat, blood stasis, injury, pregnancy, labour, over-work, or excessive sexual activity, resulting in kidney deficiency. We need to tonify the kidney first and then reach a determination of treatment based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs.
Main symptoms: Back pain with cold-heavy feeling, cannot move, worse when lying down and during cold rainy days, thick white coating on the tongue. Treatment: TCM practitioners will do acupuncture to help circulation and relieve the pain. Alternatively the practitioners will prescribe the herbs to expel wind-evil and clear away cold, warm and dredge the channel.
Main symptoms: Back pain with warm or burning sensation, worse in hot environments, sometimes easier after movement, and yellow, greasy coated tongue, soft and rapid pulse. Treatment: The TCM practitioners will do acupuncture or prescribe the herbs to help to clean away the heat and expel the damp, soothe the channels and relieve the pain.
Main symptoms: The back pain is helped by pressing or massaging for the relief of pain, weakness in the knees and legs, worse when feeling tired, if one lies down it feels better and is easily recurring. If there is kidney Yang deficiency, feel cold, have lower abdominal pain, pale hot flushes, red tongue, rapid and weak pulse. Treatment: Acupuncture can help to improve body circulation and relieve the pain. Alternatively the TCM practitioner will prescribe the herbs and tablets to help to tonify the kidney Yang or kidney Yin. Also the herbal plasters are very helpful for this type of back pain.
Main symptoms: Back pain, sharp pain, the source of the pain is fixed, if mild back pain -feel as though you cannot bend. In severe cases, one cannot move because of the source of the pain, the area does not like to be pressed, purple tongue or purple spots on the tongue, hesitant pulse. Some patients may have a history of injury. Treatment: Do acupuncture to help blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Alternatively, get herbs or herbal tablets or plaster to help to regulate vital energy and alleviate pain and strengthen the back. For further information, please contact your local branches. |