Back Pain and Trigger Point Acupuncture

Trigger point acupuncture is a method that releases sensitive nodules in the skeletal musculature that cause referred pain-what we refer to as muscle "knots." Rather than temporarily masking the pain that's caused by these sensitive points, as medications do, trigger point acupuncture actually eliminates the source of the problem. This therapy is also effectively used to relieve problems and pain associated with neck, shoulder, wrist, leg etc. This article will focus exclusively on trigger point acupuncture for low back pain.

Which Points Cause Low Back Pain?

With low back pain, the source can be muscle knots in a number of different muscles.

The Trigger points in the following muscles can refer pain to the low back: erector spinae longissimus, erector spinae iliocostalis, multifidi, rotatores, rectus abdominis, quadratus lumborum, iliopsoas, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, levator ani, and piriformis.

In Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual, author Janet Travell, a Western physician who is credited with coining the term "trigger point," says of low back pain, "Occasionally only one muscle will be responsible for the pain as presented, but it is much more common for several muscles to contribute to overlapping pain patterns... No two patients present exactly the same picture."

Travell says, "The muscles in general and [trigger points] in particular receive little attention as a major source of pain and dysfunction in modern medical school teaching and in medical textbooks."

Effective treament for Low back Pain

One of the most beneficial things about acupuncture is that it places you into the relaxation response, similar to what is achieved by meditation. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and pain in the body and also reduces the body's biochemical responses to stress and lowers blood pressure. It does this by increasing the secretion of our body's natural opiates, endorphins, our feel good hormones and by increasing secretion of natural cortisone-like anti-inflammation drugs in the adrenal glands.

Trigger point acupuncture goes one step further. In addition to being profoundly relaxing, as above, when you relieve these sensitive nodules the muscle responds by actually lengthening and releasing. This has a decompressing effect on joints, tendons, and tendon sheaths. After a session the patient usually feels a release just like in a chiropractic adjustment. This is generally followed by an immediate relief in pain. Usually patients will sleep profoundly well the night of a treatment, which also has enormous restorative value.

Treatment is much more effective when the practitioner is familiar with both therapies and incorporates them together.