Back pain treatment Wokingham, Berkshire

Back pain is a common compliant characterised by local or referred pain, at the base of the lower back, which can affect people's day to day life. In 1998, 40% of UK adults stated they had suffered from back pain lasting more than one day in the previous 12 months.

Nearly 40% of UK back sufferers consulted their doctor; 10% visited a practitioner of complementary medicine (such as an acupuncturists) .

Causes of back pain

In Western medical terms lower back problems can be caused by a sprain, strain, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, a neoplasm or a prolapsed intervertebral disk. From the viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), lower back pain is caused by either; trauma leading to the stagnation of Qi and Blood, invasion by Cold, Wind and Damp or a deficiency of Kidney Qi.

As a general rule, lower lumbar pain is closely related to the Kidney. These conditions can be divided into excess or deficient syndromes. The invasion by Cold and Damp is an excessive disorder resulting in the stagnation of Qi and Blood. Kidney Qi deficiency is a deficient syndrome. In all these instances the end result is the stagnation of Qi and Blood, causing pain.

Acupuncture for lower back pain

The mechanisms of acupuncture as analgesia are still unclear. Dr Pomeranz first discovered acupuncture analgesia caused the release of endorphins from the pituitary gland after a 30 minute period. The possible mechanism of acupuncture analgesia starts from the initial acupuncture point stimulation (‘de Qi’).

Through the acupuncture meridian network, Qi energies are transformed into DC-current changes, which are then slowly transmitted along pathways throughout the glial network. At the level of the brain, these changes in DC potential are also associated with neurochemical mechanisms (i.e. endorphin release) that may recede or coincide with the action-potential changes in individual neurons.

Acupuncture can help back pain by:

• Providing pain relief - by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of endorphins and changes the way the brain processes pain from the spinal cord.
• Reducing inflammation.
• Improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility - which aids dispersal of swelling and bruising, reducing the use of medication for back complaints.
• Providing a more cost-effective treatment over a longer period of time.
• Improving the outcome when added to conventional treatments such as rehabilitation exercises.

How does acupuncture relieve back pain?

Watch the animated video below which explains how acupuncture relieves back pain.

Our back pain acupuncturist

Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto BM (Beijing), BSc (Hons) TCM, MBAcC, MATCM, MAAC

Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto has been treating lower back problems for over 20 years and has great success in treating back problems.

Dr (TCM) D'Alberto graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine from Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in China after studying for 5 years.

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