Low back pain is quite common as people begin to age. And most would agree that it’s just part of the aging process. But the truth is that low back pain wouldn’t be commonplace if we took better care of ourselves. Years of overworking, lack of exercise, poor diet and poor sleep are all contributing factors to our health and especially our low back health. These factors can lead to a deficiency of the body systems which can then manifest as low back pain. So how do we know if our low back pain is due to a deficiency? Believe it or not, most acupuncturists can determine if low back pain is caused by deficiency just by examining you. Here are some things that may indicate your low back pain is derived from deficiency.
1. Do you have a history of kidney disease? — Kidney disease in East Asian Medicine (EAM) doesn’t just mean that your kidneys are failing. It is more about the overall function of your kidneys from the day you were born. Acupuncturists will ask questions about your urination habits, if you have night sweats, if you have ever had kidney stones, etc. The kidneys are housed in the area of the lower back and if you have deficient kidneys, this can be a clue as to why you are having low back pain. Typically, kidney deficiency low back pain takes time to develop and the pain increases over time because your kidneys are becoming less effective.
2. Do you always feel cold? — If your body feels cold all the time, it is an indication that there is insufficient blood and qi (pronounced “chee”) flowing throughout the body. When there is insufficient blood or qi, the muscles and tendons of the lower back can become devoid of the nutrients needed to keep them flexible and properly nourished. Liken it to a plant that doesn’t receive the proper amount of water. After time, it will become brittle and will eventually die. The same is true of your muscles and tendons. If you feel cold, even when it’s very warm, this can be an indication that your body isn’t getting proper nutrition and qi and this can manifest as low back pain.
3. Is the pain more of an ache? — Many people have a hard time differentiating pain. But if the low back pain you are experiencing tends to be more of the achy, annoying variety, it probably is due to a deficiency. These kinds of aches and pains are generally the ones associated with aging and overuse. This again goes back to a lack of qi and blood flow to the low back area. This lack of flow is often times associated with what Western medicine calls anemia or lack of red blood cells. Even mild anemia can cause enough of a deficiency to trigger low back pain.
4. Are you under a lot of stress? — People who are constantly stressed exhibit signs of deficiency, including low back pain. Some say that you “hold” your pain in the low back area. To some degree this is correct. When you feel stressed, your body naturally compresses. This is actually a defense mechanism. Then because you don’t get up and stretch regularly, the compression compiles over time and worsens. Excess stress depletes the body over time, which is why it feels so good to take a vacation. Your body needs to decompress.
5. How is your sleep? — Sleep patterns tell acupuncturists a lot about your body. Your body needs proper sleep to rejuvenate and repair itself. If you’re not sleeping well, the body will become deficient over time. This is why it is so important to give yourself enough time to really relax each night. Bad sleep leads to deficiency throughout the body and eventually it will manifest as pain. And one of the first places you will experience that pain is the low back.
Because deficiency derived low back pain tends to occur over time, it may take a little longer to resolve. The good news is that you can improve low back pain by changing your patterns and incorporating acupuncture and East Asian Medicine into your health care regime. Don’t wait until the nagging low back pain is a daily issue. Get a jump on your healing sooner rather than later and schedule an appointment today.