Back Pain

One of the most common afflictions of mankind, back pain strikes some 20 million Americans at any one time. Although the causes of back pain can be quite variable, including such things as constipation, kidney dyfunction, cancer, and gallstone attack, my focus here is on musculoskeletal aspects.

Most acute back pain, of course, is caused by overlifting or wrenching the back. One of my recent patients had been lifting a refrigerator from a truck when he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his lower back. He found that he could not straighten up, a chiropractic adjustment did not help, and pain relievers provided minimal temporary relief. When he walked into my office, he was bent over, with pain focused in the low back area and radiating down his left leg. Within 20 minutes from the start of his acupuncture treatment, this patient noticed a lessening of his pain. By the end of his session, his pain was over 90 percent relieved, and he was able to walk upright again. One followup session was necessary to consolidate the effect. Though not every patient with a simple acute back sprain responds as quickly and completely as this one, I find that a majority do.

In the case of chronic back pain, it is necessary to work with the patient in depth in order to find out as nearly as possible what the cause of the pain is. In cases in which arthritis is the cause, for example, acupuncture can be extremely helpful. One patient who had arthritis in both her neck and back began to see improvement after several weeks. She now has no pain or numbness in the arm (caused by the neck arthritis), and her back pain is substantially reduced.

Obviously chronic back pain can come from sources other than arthritis, so I always find it important to gather as much information as possible in order to address what may be the underlying cause.

If you have back pain or a health condition that is causing you concern, you are welcome to call me at 858/673-1397 for a free phone consultation.


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Rancho Bernardo Sun/ Diamond Gateway Signature
August 2001