Common causes of Low Back Pain (Lumbar Backache) include lumbar strain, nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, and conditions of the bone and joints. Each of these is reviewed below.
1. Lumbar strain
Sprains and strains imply stretching or tearing of the tissue involved, either muscles (strain) or ligaments (sprain). (For more detailed information, please refer to this article)
2. Nerve irritation
The nerves of the lumbar spine can be irritated by mechanical pressure (impingement) by bone or other tissues, or from disease, anywhere along their paths -- from their roots at the spinal cord to the skin surface. These conditions include lumbar disc disease , bony encroachment, and inflammation of the nerves caused by a viral infection (shingles).
3. Lumbar radiculopathy
Lumbar radiculopathy is nerve irritation that is caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae. Damage to the disc occurs because of degeneration ("wear and tear") of the outer ring of the disc, traumatic injury, or both.
4.Bony encroachment
Any condition that results in movement or growth of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine can limit the space (encroachment) for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves. Causes of bony encroachment of the spinal nerves include foraminal narrowing (narrowing of the portal through which the spinal nerve passes from the spinal column, out of the spinal canal to the body, commonly as a result of arthritis), spondylolisthesis (slippage of one vertebra relative to another), and spinal stenosis (compression of the nerve roots or spinal cord by bony spurs or other soft tissues in the spinal canal).
5. Bone and joint conditions
Bone and joint conditions that lead to Low Back Pain include those existing from birth (congenital), those that result from wear and tear (degenerative) or injury, and those that are due to inflammation of the joints (arthritis).
6. Other causes of Low Back Pain include kidney problems, pregnancy, ovary problems, and tumors.
Traditional Chinese medicine theory :Waist is the house of kidneys and the kidney meridian go through the spine. It indicates the close relationship of low back pain and kidney, and waist meridian, tendons, choroid lesions may also cause low back pain. There are three types low back pain in TCM.
1. Cold-damp lumbago
It is usually because people exposure in cold conditions after sweating , so that blood and Qi are blocked in low back.
2. Muscular strain lumbago
It dues to lumbar muscle sprain, bruise or impact injury , resulting in meridian damaged, and causing Qi and blood run obstructed.
3. Lumbago due to kidney-asthenia
Chronic illness or old and feeble, or frequent sex, and consumption of energy, would cause kidney Qi deficiency.
Acupuncture is a really go way to dredge the block. One of the theory of TCM is “Block Cause Pain” and “Unobstructed No Pain”. After removing the block, most patient would feel relax right away and after drinking warm water and hot shower they would feel much better. The third kind patients whose treatments have to combine acupuncture and herbal therapy. Their kidneys need to be strengthened first.
2012-12-06
Insomnia(Sleep Problem) Treatment. Treat Insomnia.
Insomnia or sleeplessness is a common sleep disorder. People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. They may not feel refreshed when they wake up.
Nowadays, more and more people can not sleep well. It is because there are plenty stress from many places such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event. It may last for days or weeks, and some people last for month or longer. Those people who do not get enough sleep would cause daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. They might also feel anxious, depressed, or irritable.
In TCM theory, insomnia is related to heart, spleen, kidneys, and liver.
The kidneys, like all the body's organs, store energy. When the kidney's ability to store energy is compromised, sleep disorders can result. According to TCM, kidney energy deficiency can prevent the kidney from holding the energy inside. When this happens, the energy ascends and disturbs the heart (spirit). This, in turn, keeps the person awake.
Palpitation and insomnia are the result of exhaustion of liver and kidney essence. If vital essence is prevented from replenishing the heart, the breakdown of the normal physiological coordination between the heart and the kidneys will occur. These conditions may also result in excess heart fire or blood qi deficiency in the heart and gallbladder. Anyone of these scenarios can manifest as fear and timidity on the part of the patient.
Some violent emotions impair liver qi, which stagnates, transforms into fire, invades heart Yin and causes mental derangement and insomnia.
Excess consumption of greasy or sweet foods can result in the retention of fluids and phlegm in the stomach and spleen, causing stomach and spleen qi malfunctioning and, eventually, insomnia.
Acupuncture remedy can relax patients and calm down their stress-nerves that would really help them to fight insomnia. During giving acupuncture time, patients usually fall asleep because of relaxing.
Herbal remedy can help patients balance their body conditions. After balancing, patients’ body can easy reduce their stress and fall asleep easily.
Acupuncture and Herbal therapies should be combined together and most my patients will feel much better after couple days’ treatment. That is why I always tell my patients acupuncture and TCM are really good ways treating insomnia.
Nowadays, more and more people can not sleep well. It is because there are plenty stress from many places such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event. It may last for days or weeks, and some people last for month or longer. Those people who do not get enough sleep would cause daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. They might also feel anxious, depressed, or irritable.
In TCM theory, insomnia is related to heart, spleen, kidneys, and liver.
Kidney Energy (qi) Deficiency
The kidneys, like all the body's organs, store energy. When the kidney's ability to store energy is compromised, sleep disorders can result. According to TCM, kidney energy deficiency can prevent the kidney from holding the energy inside. When this happens, the energy ascends and disturbs the heart (spirit). This, in turn, keeps the person awake.
Senility or Blood Qi Deficiency of the Heart
Palpitation and insomnia are the result of exhaustion of liver and kidney essence. If vital essence is prevented from replenishing the heart, the breakdown of the normal physiological coordination between the heart and the kidneys will occur. These conditions may also result in excess heart fire or blood qi deficiency in the heart and gallbladder. Anyone of these scenarios can manifest as fear and timidity on the part of the patient.
Injury Due to Emotional Excesses
Some violent emotions impair liver qi, which stagnates, transforms into fire, invades heart Yin and causes mental derangement and insomnia.
Improper Diet
Excess consumption of greasy or sweet foods can result in the retention of fluids and phlegm in the stomach and spleen, causing stomach and spleen qi malfunctioning and, eventually, insomnia.
Acupuncture remedy can relax patients and calm down their stress-nerves that would really help them to fight insomnia. During giving acupuncture time, patients usually fall asleep because of relaxing.
Herbal remedy can help patients balance their body conditions. After balancing, patients’ body can easy reduce their stress and fall asleep easily.
Acupuncture and Herbal therapies should be combined together and most my patients will feel much better after couple days’ treatment. That is why I always tell my patients acupuncture and TCM are really good ways treating insomnia.
2012-11-06
Acute Lumbar Muscle Sprain or Strain treatment. Acupuncture Can Treat Acute Lumbar Muscle Sprain or Strain?
At beginning I would like to talk about some anatomy. Our lumbar spine consists of five bony vertebrae cushioned by intervertebral discs made of cartilage. The lumbosacral region of the spine bears enormous loads and is responsible for mobility of the trunk. The muscles are essential for demanding weight-bearing activities such as walking, bending, turning, or lifting.
Sprains and strains imply stretching or tearing of the tissue involved, either muscles (strain) or ligaments (sprain). Sprains are ligamentous injuries typically caused by sudden, strong contraction, torsion, a direct blow, or a sudden, forceful straightening from a crouched position. Strains are either partial or complete tears of muscle-tendon units, usually as a result of strong muscular contraction sustained in forceful stretching. Stretching or tearing of the deep muscles of the lumbar spine will generally present with pain and spasm. The tissues are deep, and therefore it is difficult to categorize these injuries. Temporary or permanent damage of lumbosacral structure can result.
Basing on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, pain is caused by something blocks in some place. You can imagine there are plenty of drive ways in our body and there are a lot of cars run on those ways. The drive ways are Meridians and cars are Qi(likes energy that goes throw whole body). When the drive ways are flowing freely and Qi can go throw really smooth, and then you will feel very comfortable. However, if there are some bad guys who block the road and the other cars cannot pass, the traffic jam would be happened. While it happens you would feel pain.
Acupuncturing can be imagined as police. You can imagine that you are given acupuncture means policemen come and disperse those trouble makers. After police coming and trying to restore flow, they have to clean those bad guys away. They need tow trucks to tow blocker out of there, and the tow trucks you can think those are water, so you must drink a lot of warm water after being acupunctured.
Most of patients who would feel relax immediately, and they would feel much better in couple hours.Acupuncture can treat Acute Lumbar Muscle Sprain or Strain really well.
Sprains and strains imply stretching or tearing of the tissue involved, either muscles (strain) or ligaments (sprain). Sprains are ligamentous injuries typically caused by sudden, strong contraction, torsion, a direct blow, or a sudden, forceful straightening from a crouched position. Strains are either partial or complete tears of muscle-tendon units, usually as a result of strong muscular contraction sustained in forceful stretching. Stretching or tearing of the deep muscles of the lumbar spine will generally present with pain and spasm. The tissues are deep, and therefore it is difficult to categorize these injuries. Temporary or permanent damage of lumbosacral structure can result.
Basing on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, pain is caused by something blocks in some place. You can imagine there are plenty of drive ways in our body and there are a lot of cars run on those ways. The drive ways are Meridians and cars are Qi(likes energy that goes throw whole body). When the drive ways are flowing freely and Qi can go throw really smooth, and then you will feel very comfortable. However, if there are some bad guys who block the road and the other cars cannot pass, the traffic jam would be happened. While it happens you would feel pain.
Acupuncturing can be imagined as police. You can imagine that you are given acupuncture means policemen come and disperse those trouble makers. After police coming and trying to restore flow, they have to clean those bad guys away. They need tow trucks to tow blocker out of there, and the tow trucks you can think those are water, so you must drink a lot of warm water after being acupunctured.
Most of patients who would feel relax immediately, and they would feel much better in couple hours.Acupuncture can treat Acute Lumbar Muscle Sprain or Strain really well.
2012-10-14
Why Stroke Cause Hemiplegia and What Acupuncture Can treat Hemiplegia?
Firstly, I would like to describe why does Stroke cause Hemiplegia. We can imagine brain is a bus loop and our nerve fibers are bus routes and nerve signals are buses. Unfortunately, one day some bad guys use huge rocks to block the driveway. If the rocks on the driveway where the signal (bus) to the right hand normally starts its trip, then the signal will never be able to leave the driveway and the right hand will become paralyzed. However, signals to other places such as the face and the leg won’t become affected by this relatively small catastrophe and change sides versa. The longer no nerve signals go throw the nerve fibers will be suffered more damage. That is why patients do not easy recover if they do not do anything to help it.
Secondly, I would like to explain why acupuncture can help patients who stroke and hemiplegia. As I said there are rocks block the way and how can we help buses to pass that barriers. Acupuncture gives buses extra power to make them become off-road vehicles to help them easier to go throw, and usually it gives huge benefit. Most patients can feel much improve in spoken fluency in their first time acupuncture. After 2 or 3 times they can feel really good progress in their body condition, if they well cooperate with me. The most important is the earlier treatment the better response. The best treatment time is one month after stroke. That is why acupuncture can treat Hemiplegia and help stroke recovery.
Secondly, I would like to explain why acupuncture can help patients who stroke and hemiplegia. As I said there are rocks block the way and how can we help buses to pass that barriers. Acupuncture gives buses extra power to make them become off-road vehicles to help them easier to go throw, and usually it gives huge benefit. Most patients can feel much improve in spoken fluency in their first time acupuncture. After 2 or 3 times they can feel really good progress in their body condition, if they well cooperate with me. The most important is the earlier treatment the better response. The best treatment time is one month after stroke. That is why acupuncture can treat Hemiplegia and help stroke recovery.
About Gene Chiu
Introduction
Hi, my name is Gene Chiu.I graduated from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and have a T.C.M. doctor license in China. Before that, I had got my Bachelor degree of Nursing. Also, I used to be a nurse and have more than six years experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine (T.C.M.) and Acupuncture which includes Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai Johnson workers hospital and Chinese medicine out-patient department of Shanghai Chinese Medical Literature Museum. Therefore, I have solid knowledge both in Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I have excellent knowledge and treatment skills in treating Asthma and Stroke Hemiplegia. Moreover, I have really good experience at Gastrointestinal System Disorder, Respiratory Diseases, Frozen Shoulder, Migraine, Facial Palsy, Neck and Back Pain and Insomnia.
I am a really patience and gentle T.C.M. practitioner who not only aims to improve patients’ condition but also lead them to a healthier lifestyle. I'm fluent in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese.
T.C.M. & Acupuncturist Working Experience
- Yan Health Care Inc. - Hamilton, Canada
- Gene Chiu Clinic - Hamilton, Canada
- 39 Medical Center Mississauga Clinic - Mississauga, Canada
- Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of T.C.M - Shanghai, China
- Chinese Medicine Out-Patient Department of Shanghai Chinese Medical Literature Museum - Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Johnson Workers Hospital - Shanghai, China
Nurse Working Experience
- Taichung Veterans General Hospital - Chiayi Branch, Chiayi City, Taiwan
- Military Taichung General Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
Education
- Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Shanghai, China
- Bachelor of Nursing, Chung-Shan Medical University - Taichung City, Taiwan
- PCU College of Holistic Medicine - Burnaby, Canada
License
- Traditional Chinese Physician issued by China
- Registered Nurse issued by Taiwan
Contact me
Please feel free to leave messages or contact me at drgenechiu@gmail.com.
2012-07-18
Welcome~
Hi,
This is Gene Chiu.
This is my blog, I will share with you some Chinese Medicine knowledge and experiences of the practice of medicine.
嗨，
我是Gene Chiu。
這是我的部落格，我將會在此跟大家分享一些中醫的知識和經驗，歡迎大家常來逛逛唷!
This is Gene Chiu.
This is my blog, I will share with you some Chinese Medicine knowledge and experiences of the practice of medicine.
嗨，
我是Gene Chiu。
這是我的部落格，我將會在此跟大家分享一些中醫的知識和經驗，歡迎大家常來逛逛唷!
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