Chronic Lower Back Pain

Struggle to get up off the couch? Always aching when you lay down? Can’t stand for too long? Can’t sit for too long? Your lower back is one area that is always giving you grief no matter what you do? This is chronic lower back pain. Chronic can be a daunting word when it comes to health, however, it means a condition that has lasted longer than 12 weeks, this pain could come and go or be a recurring issue. Common causes for lower back pain include degeneration of the lumbar spine, muscle strains, sciatica, herniated or bulging discs, facet joint dysfunction, or sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Acupuncture can be a very impactful treatment option for your lower back pain that can have great long lasting results leading to you being pain free for longer. 

Not all of these conditions cause the same type of pain and it is important to decipher where the pain is coming from and what is causing it so that we can give you the correct diagnosis and treatment. When assessing lower back pain we must always rule out any issues with the kidneys as this may be a more serious issue than just a simple muscle strain. We do this by asking a series of questions relating to the pain, your bladder function, and any other relevant information regarding the lower half of your body. Next we assess the type of pain and location of the pain. It is important to know if you have a dull ache that is constant and worse when sitting for long periods of time or if it is sharp and stabbing with shooting pains traveling down your legs. The location of your pain will also help in our treatment options. It can often be difficult to pinpoint the location of the pain as it is often a banding type sensation and if the pain is quite severe it can be affecting many different areas. As your treatments go on, your pain should become a lot more specific in location as inflammation is removed and you start to heal the surrounding structures. 

Degeneration of the spine, herniated and bulging discs, and facet joint dysfunction all appear very serious and can be depending on the grade of dysfunction or herniation; however, with correct treatment and management you can manage the pain very effectively. Our spine is made up of small bones called vertebrae and between them are intervertebral discs that act as a soft pad to reduce the pressure. Out of your spine runs your nerves that supply the muscles and they can become compromised as the discs degenerate naturally with age. When this happens we often get radiating pains that can come on quickly and can be very painful. Our body produces inflammation that surrounds the associated muscles making it harder for them to heal and move properly. This inflammation causes a lot of the aching type pain that we are feeling. With acupuncture, we remove the surrounding inflammation so that those muscles can start moving freely, which helps protect our surrounding nerves which alleviates pain. 

Disc bulges can need surgery depending on the grade of the bulge. There are 4 grades; disc bulge, disc protrusion, disc extrusion, disc sequestration. As we get further into the grades, the more serious the situation. The majority of disc bulges found in symptomatic people are grades 1 and 2; bulges and protrusions, respectively. These grades can be managed well with treatments such as acupuncture, massage and cupping to help alleviate the local inflammation and tension on the muscles coupled with routine stretching and exercise to help strengthen the local area. You do not always require surgery to fix a bulging disc and it does not always have to be a permanent condition.