Use Heat for Back Pain

According to Chinese Medical Theory, pain is caused by a blockage or reduction in energy flow to part of the body. In other words, "where there is free flow, there is no pain."

By this principal, one way to ease pain is to improve circulation to the area deprived of adequate energy. Many people instinctively touch or rub painful muscles or sore areas, which is a manual way of moving energy back into the area. In addition, it is often helpful to physically move the muscles that are hurting. Those with dull, achy back pain often feel better with movement or gentle exercise.

There seems to be a lot of debate between medical professions over the use of either heat or cold compresses to help back pain or injuries. The recommendation from a Chinese Medical perspective is always the use of heat. In fact, cold energy is seen as pathogenic in that it contracts and slows or stops energy circulation. Numbing the area with ice or cold may feel like pain relief, but is in fact just freezing circulation to the area and impeding the body's natural healing process.

The use of heat or warmth on back pain or injury encourages energy flow back into the area, dilating the pathways along which qi and blood flow. Today's NY Times Health section published an article supporting this notion, with evidence from a clinical trial.

Further, the article found that the best relief from back pain came from a combination of a heat pack along with gentle exercise, which again supports the idea that circulation must continue flowing to the area that had become blocked. The subjects who used heat without mild exercise and stretches did not get as much relief as those who kept their bodies moving and warm.

Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Chinese Herbs are another set of useful therapies that can be used to ease pain in the back or other body parts if the at-home use of heat packs and gentle exercise are not providing sufficient relief.

posted by Jessica Silver, MAOM, L.Ac.
www.amazinghealing.com
Aiyana Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs