HI I have a question relating to acupuncture treatments. I have had about 5 sessions and have found a lot more relief than with chiropractic care.
Has anyone heard of a definite form of practice, meridian line or points that address the herniation of discs in the lumbar spine.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
I’m not sure exactly what you are asking, but, yes, pain of all natures is generally very well treated with Chinese Medicine/acupuncture. Low back pain from disc problems and other issues is one of the more common reasons for a visit to an acupuncturist and certainly my clinical experience is that the response rate is extremely high. This is perhaps even more so when you consider that most people don’t come to an acupuncturist until they have exhausted all other options which means that 80% or more of the cases are arguably more complicated.
Either way, I think what you are asking is if there is a fixed treatment protocol that always works well and the resounding answer is no - this is in fact in complete defiance to what makes Chinese Medicine work. For more in this read “What Does Acupuncture Treat?” to understand a bit about pattern differentiation (i.e. diagnoses for various issues that dictate what you do within Chinese Medicine) and then you can look at our basic acupuncture treatment for low back pain page which shows -some- of the more common diagnosis with -some- of the more commonly used approaches. The adaptability of the medicine is what will drive more consistent results - not fixed protocols.
Comment by Archived User
In my clinical experience treatments that insert the needles at the hua tuo jia ji points on the level of the disk and immediately above and below seem to work significantly better than using distal points only. I remember a case in school where the patient was reluctant to let us needle their back because the pain was so intense and they were extremely sensitive there. After 3 treatments there was almost no change and I was able to convince them to let me try needling the back using the hua tuo points. After a single treatment there was noticeable improvement (i.e. reduction of pain) and after 3 or 4 more treatments using those points they were basically pain free.
In another case I had a patient with acute ruptured disk due to a fall. He could barely even walk when he came in and to my surprise was completely pain free after just 2 treatments where I used those points. So while not a standardized treatment per se (you still need to customize the other points you use based on the presentation of symptoms you see that day) I would personally considering those points critical for any disk issues I treat.