Medizines

Acupuncture has been used for the treatment of back pain and depression for many centuries. When we remember that in Oriental medicine the mind has an influence on the body, and the body has an influence on the mind, we can easily understand how these two different ailments back pain and depression can be connected.

In the Traditional Chinese medical framework, each organ is associated with a specific emotion, which in the case of the Liver is Anger. According to Traditional Chinese medicinal theory, the built up of repressed anger causes the liver Qi energy to stagnate. This in turn affects the spiritual aspect of that organ which is called "The ethereal soul ". It provides us the ability to make decisions. When the Liver Qi (energy) is unbalanced, that ability is lost. This can result in poor motivation, and a general lack of direction in life.

The affected person often become inflexible in their ideas, unable and unwilling to accept other people's opinions; they gradually alienate those close to them. Build up feelings of frustration and anger can lead to powerlessness and depression when these demands can't be met. These negative emotions will have on effect on the body causing it to become tight and inflexible, like the mind of the depressed patient, and result in back pain and other physical ailments, like digestive problems.

Other emotions such as grief and guilt can affect other organ's energy such as the lungs or the heart and the kidneys and also lead to depressive states. Hence acupuncture for back pain and depression is adjunct treatment for chronic health problems or disorders.

A constitutional weakness in the kidneys energy can result in a lack of willpower. We have probably all met some of these enthusiastic people who always seem to be full of projects, and great ideas, but they never seem to be able to bring anything to completion. This underlying weakness can be another building ground for depression. Also, kidneys weakness makes that person susceptible to lower back pain.

It is characterized by the type of pain which builds up slowly throughout the day, and becomes worse with any type of exertion. In that case, we often see two distinct patterns with either an accompanying weakness in the knees and feelings of cold in the extremities, or in opposite, symptoms of internal heat like insomnia, or irritability, and dry throat and mouth.

If the Liver itself is the causing factor, the pain will be sharp, alternating from side to side, maybe travelling up to the shoulders and neck, accompanied with aching joints.

In these cases, taking pharmaceutical medication will only have a short term symptomatic benefit, while a course of acupuncture treatments combined with mediation and gentle exercise can often be a life changing experience for patients suffering from either the back pain or the depression, or even both.

By Dr Olivier Lejus

Arthritis pain has never been easy to treat and arthritis symptoms have often been managed by the use of possibly toxic or unpalatable arthritis medication. Acupuncture can result in powerful arthritis pain relief and it can provide an alternative arthritis remedy for many pain sufferers. Arthritis treatment by acupuncture is described below.

Arthritis pain relief with acupuncture - what is acupuncture?

Acupuncture has been used for arthritis pain relief in traditional Chinese medicine for many thousands of years. It has recently become a widely used technique in western medicine – both by doctors and others.

Acupuncture claims good results in the treatment of arthritis pain. Arthritis pain relief and joint pain relief are among the most common reasons for using acupuncture in Western countries. Many people who suffer from osteoathritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, degenerative arthritis and gout seek pain relief from acupuncture – either alongside, or instead of, their arthritis medication or other arthritis treatment.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into several points around the body. These acupuncture points are often near to the site of your arthritis pain and may be very tender to touch before the needle is inserted. Other acupuncture points used for arthritis pain relief may be quite a way distant from the affected joint – acupuncturists usually call these areas “distal points.” It depends on the particular style of practice used by your acupuncturists but you should expect to have anything between two and twenty needles inserted each time you go for treatment

Most arthritis pain sufferers need from three to six treatment sessions before they begin to get relief.
The needles are extremely fine – not much wider than a human hair – and are often left in your skin for more than twenty minutes during a treatment session.

There is no way to predict how much arthritis pain relief you will get from acupuncture – it really is a matter of try it and see what happens.

How is acupuncture used in arthritis pain relief?

Your first acupuncture session may last about an hour and subsequent appointments are often shorter in length. From two to twenty very thin needles are put in place and left there for several minutes. Having needles stuck in your body may not sound like fun but most people say there's only a slight stinging sensation as the needles enter, and no pain at all after that. Your therapist may stimulate the needles by turning or rotating them quickly during your treatment session.

Acupuncture needles are very thin and solid with a smooth point and having them inserted may not be as uncomfortable as getting an immunisation having blood taken for a blood test. The number of sessions needed varies. Long-standing and complex chronic pain problems like arthritis might need one or two treatments a week for several months.

Most people do not experience side effects from acupuncture therapy but a few of us can have problems such as bleeding or infection. Some people who have never experienced acupuncture may feel dizzy after their first acupuncture treatment.

If you suffer from arthritis then do consider trying acupuncture – it may provide the arthritis pain relief that you have been longing for.

By Gordon Cameron