Sciatica pain is often associated with morning stiffness in the back often lasting an hour or so. No Allopathic medical treatment can prevent the evolution of this disease. Young people especially males experience this pain usually in the lower back. Chinese medicine can quickly treat the symptoms of pain associated with the pinching of the sciatic nerve itself as it leaves the spinal cord in the lower back.
There are a few reasons why one could get sciatica pain. From the biomedical perspective, the symptoms are associated with the sciatic nerve, itself. If the bones of the spine are damaged, or just lined up poorly, they can pinch or irritate the sciatic nerve as it leaves the spine. Often, sciatica may come about due to a portion of the disc in the spine. The disc that should remain between the spines sticks out a little bit, pinching the nerve as it exits the area. This creates the pain in the lower back and also pain that travels down the back of the leg into the foot. On the other hand, the problem could be due to something simple like sitting on a bad chair. Whatever the cause acupuncture can relieve the pain quickly and effectively.
From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the pain can be due to one of a number of problems. In Allopathic medicine we commonly talk about catching a cold. In Chinese medicine, we can catch a cold as well as many other environmental factors such as catching a damp or wind. These factors settle into the meridians in the body causing pain that may feel hot or cold. They move around in the body like wind and can become thick and cloudy like dampness arising in the body itself. In the case of sciatica, one of a few different external factors may have settled into the meridians that go across the leg. Usually, it is the urinary bladder meridian that has been affected.
Other factors that can lead to sciatica, from the Chinese perspective include a deficiency of the Kidney and Liver organs, or the stagnation of the blood circulation through the meridian.
The pain associated with sciatica follows the path of the urinary bladder meridian from the lower back down to the foot. When there is pain along this line, it shows that the Qi (pronounced as “Chee”) energy is stagnated in that area. The Qi stagnation needs to be restored in order to resume normal Qi circulation. The fact that Qi stagnation occurs in the urinary bladder's meridian does not actually suggest that there is anything wrong with the patient's bladder. What is causing the stagnation of the Qi energy can be one of many factors such as wind, damp, cold, or heat.
Syndrome Differentiation
(1) Invasion of wind, cold or dampness:
Pain is aggravated by overcast or rainy weather. The pain includes a heaviness, numbness and/or cold sensation along the pain pathway.
(2) Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney:
This is usually a long-term condition. Sciatica pain along with tiredness and weakness in the knees and lower back are classic symptoms of a deficiency of these two organs.
(3) Obstruction of the meridian channels by the stagnation of blood due to local trauma:This type of sciatica pain follows a fall, or accident where the leg or lower back has been injured.
Treatment Acupuncture points along the pathway of the pain are treated. This helps move the Qi energy locally. Sometimes other points in the body are also used to treat the damp, cold or wind that may have spread out into the rest of the body including into the urinary bladder meridian.
Pain is aggravated by overcast or rainy weather. The pain includes a heaviness, numbness and/or cold sensation along the pain pathway.
(2) Deficiency of the Liver and Kidney:
This is usually a long-term condition. Sciatica pain along with tiredness and weakness in the knees and lower back are classic symptoms of a deficiency of these two organs.
(3) Obstruction of the meridian channels by the stagnation of blood due to local trauma:This type of sciatica pain follows a fall, or accident where the leg or lower back has been injured.
Treatment Acupuncture points along the pathway of the pain are treated. This helps move the Qi energy locally. Sometimes other points in the body are also used to treat the damp, cold or wind that may have spread out into the rest of the body including into the urinary bladder meridian.
Acupuncture anesthesia is also applicable in the treatment of sciatica. Electric stimulation ("electro-Acupuncture") is used on the acupuncture needles. The local nerves are over stimulated, not with pain, but with a painless electrical sensation. This over-stimulation reduces the sensitivity of the nerves and also diminishes the other pain that travels through those nerves
Ear Acupuncture is used for additional assistance in treating the pain associated with sciatica. After the acupuncture treatment, seeds are taped into the ears to supply an on-going stimulation to these points. These seeds, or even magnets are worn for a few days at a time. Ear acupuncture is an effective adjunct to acupuncture for treating sciatica pain.
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