Suche
Mein Konto
Treatment of back and joint pain in Chinese medicine
Anyone who has suffered a painful injury is all too familiar with the consequences, particularly the discomfort and loss of mobility that come with it. Pain is the most common reason for medical consultations in the United States, leading half of all Americans to seek medical care annually. Chronic pain is the third most common health problem and impacts productivity, mobility and quality of life. Pain refers to a feeling that hurts. When you feel pain that hurts, you feel discomfort, distress, and possibly agony, depending on the severity of the pain. The pain can be constant and...
Treatment of back and joint pain in Chinese medicine
Anyone who has suffered a painful injury is all too familiar with the consequences, particularly the discomfort and loss of mobility that come with it. Pain is the most common reason for medical consultations in the United States, leading half of all Americans to seek medical care annually. Chronic pain is the third most common health problem and impacts productivity, mobility and quality of life.
Pain refers to a feeling that hurts. When you feel pain that hurts, you feel discomfort, distress, and possibly agony, depending on the severity of the pain. The pain can be steady and constant. In this case it may be a pain. It could be a throbbing pain - a pulsating pain. The pain could have a pinching or stabbing feeling. Only the person experiencing the pain can accurately describe it. Pain is a very individual experience.
This article highlights some of the herbal formulas and supplements we commonly use in the clinic to relieve acute or chronic pain
In Chinese medicine, old or new physical injuries are believed to cause blood stasis syndrome. When something doesn't move, it creates congestion and discomfort. The quality of the pain depends on what is being blocked - blood, qi, yang, etc. Injuries that do not heal within a typical time - a few weeks - can be complicated by other constitutional syndromes (e.g., blood deficiency, qi stagnation) and circumstantial factors (e.g., wind or moisture intrusion).
When patients complain of pain in any part of an extremity, including shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, etc., I often choose an appropriate formula such as Pueraria 10 or Angelica 14, which can be appropriate for shoulder, neck, and headache pain, with its focus on dispersing wind and regulating Qi. For tendon weakness and inflammation, Acanthopanax 10 provides pain relief and toning to help strengthen activities.
For traumatic injuries such as exercise injuries or falls, I consider formulas such as San Qi 17 and Myrrh Tablets, which are blood mobilizing and blood vitalizing formulas. Both formulas include myrrh, frankincense, persica, carthamus, tang kuei, peony (white or red), cinnamon twig and turmeric.
Repetitive stress, old injuries and persistent joint pain are usually treated by adding toning along with herbs that counteract wind penetration. Joint problems can be treated with Chiang-huo 13 for wind-moisture accumulation or Drynaria 12 for deficit syndrome.
For lower back pain, I would consider a formula like Eucommia 18 in conjunction with Acanthopanax 10. Eucommia 18 contains many tonic and blood moving herbs. In many cases, lower back pain consists of tight or knotted muscles. The principle of treatment is to remove toxins, nourish the blood and relax the muscles and tendons.
Chinese herbs, acupuncture, cupping, massage, relaxation techniques, and dietary changes are some of the many things you can do to relieve your pain.
Inspired by Warren Cargal, L. Ac