How can Chinese medicine help with back pain?

According to Chinese medicine, there are three main causes of back pain:

1. Sprain: inability to straighten, bend or turn without pain.  Acute pain may be felt in certain parts of the back, accompanied by swelling.
2. Spasm or inflammation:  often occurs due to invasion of ‘damp’ or ‘cold’ influences.  This is reflected as a feeling of heaviness in the back with a difficulty of movement.
3. Weakness of kidney Qi:  gives rise to an aching feeling rather than pain.   Chinese medicine regards the lower back as the ‘cabin’ of the kidney system.  Any activities that weaken the kidney (e.g. unrestricted sexual activity) will cause lower back discomfort.

The doctor will determine the cause of your back pain, and recommend a course of treatment.  Usually, acupuncture is used for pain relief.  Treatment may also involve moxibustion (the use of dried herbs burnt close to the skin) and Chinese herbs for patients whose system has been unbalanced by the pain and suffer from weakened kidney Qi.  Chinese massage can also be highly effective in easing back pain.

The length of a course depends on the extent and duration of the symptoms and the minimum period of treatment is normally 4 weeks, although in some cases, e.g. a fresh soft tissue injury, the success can be instant.