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In this post I am going to go over the products I use most frequently in the clinic, recommend patients for home use between sessions, and to keep in the home emergency kit for pain relief and faster recovery. These formulas have been around for centuries, used by generations of martial arts practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners, sports medicine doctors, and bone setters. They are all safe, tried and tested, natural herbal products to aid healing and recovery. There are three stages of injury healing: acute or stage one, subacute or stage two, and chronic or stage three. Acute/ Stage One: This stage starts from the moment the injury happens and usually lasts 1-7 days. If the trauma is minor, this stage may only last 2-3 days. If it is more severe, it may be a full week before swelling, bruising and pain begin to subside. Stage One injuries are characterized by swelling, pain, bruising, and possibly a local sensation of heat (inflammation in western medicine). Treatment goals for Stage One is to restore normal circulation at the injury site: reduce swelling, pain, inflammation and stopping infection. At this stage, external herbal formulas tend to be relatively cooling or neutral in temperature, while internal formulas generally focus on restoring circulation, removing stagnation and stopping pain and infection. Chinese medicine is about balance - warming and cooling. In Stage One we avoid heat, hot compresses, warm soaks, heating pads, and hot tubs. Adding heat to an already inflamed tissue is like throwing gasoline on the fire. Heat results in more swelling and pain, thereby delaying the healing. Warming therapies are useful in the Stage Two (Subacute) and Stage Three (Chronic) phases when the initial inflammation and swelling is greatly reduced or absent. External use:
The second product worth keeping at home for emergencies is Herbal Ice, or San Huang San, for pain, swelling and inflammation:
An other poultice worth keeping at home for emergencies is Stage One Trauma Ointment: this one is for bruises.
Subacute / Stage Two: This stage usually begins within a week after the initial injury and can last up to three weeks, depending on the severity of the injury and the patient's condition (a younger, healthier person usually recovers faster). By Subacute / Stage Two the swelling, heat, and pain is reduced, but the tissue is often stiff and needs to be broken up and mobilized. In Stage One we don’t recommend using heat or warming herbs, but in the Subacute / Stage Two we switch to more warming herbs, topicals, poultices and liniments. Treatment goals for Stage Two is to resolve the residual swelling, improve circulation for healing and reduce stiffness. Stiffness usually develops from the lack of movement, so we use herbs (and acupuncture and manual therapy and exercise) to relieve stiffness in the joints and tissue.
Chronic / Stage Three: This stage begins 3-4 weeks after the injury. Swelling is usually gone, but stiffness, pain and restricted motion, adhesions may still be present. Minor injuries should be healed by this point, especially if they were treated properly at the beginning. However, injuries to tendons and ligaments can take up to 6-8 weeks to heal completely and in severe cases, or in depleted individuals can take even longer. Stage Three herbs are quite warming and tonifying, in this stage we don’t use cold or cooling, because we believe cold constricts and slows the healing progress. Externally continue use the Tendon Lotion and U-I oil to aid healing, if the tissue hasn't healed yet.
Also worth getting acupuncture in all three stages.
In Stage One various acupuncture points are used to decrease pain, swelling, aid healing and calm the nervous system (so the body can focus on healing). In Stage Two the acupuncture needle is invaluable to break up the tight, stiff tissue and to promote healing. In Stage Three acupuncture is used mostly to tonify the body and calm the nervous system. For questions email us for acupuncture make an appointment.
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Fix chronic low back pain with Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Cupping, Massage, Exercise and Moxa6/11/2024 Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Cupping, Massage, Exercise and Moxa are all beneficial for chronic low back pain. This post explains how these various modalities help fix chronic low back pain for good.  Modalities of Chinese Medicine Practitioners of Chinese Medicine have a large toolbox to choose from. Under the umbrella of Chinese Medicine there is acupuncture, moxibustion (heat therapy), tuina (manual therapy / cupping / bone setting / tissue modulation / massage), herbs, qi gong (exercise) and diet (nutrition). During each session the practitioner choses the modalities that benefits the patient the most.  Acupuncture and dry needling for chronic low back pain Dry needling and acupuncture: needling into the tight tissue loosens up the muscles in the low back. Needling specific acupuncture points in various parts of the body (in the ankles, between the eyebrows, on top of the head for example) can provide pain relief.  Cupping for chronic low back pain Cupping, like massage and manual therapy improves circulation, breaks up fascial tightness, relieves pain and fastens healing of chronic low back pain. Cupping marks have a diagnostic function: the dark cupping color means that the blood flow is impeded "stagnant", and cupping needs to be repeated till blood flow improves in that area (the marks show up less dark over time). Cupping can be repeated once the marks completely faded away.  Pilates for chronic low back pain Strengthening of the low back, hips, and core with Pilates or Physical Therapy is very important for fixing chronic low back pain. Strength training and stretching ensures that the spine, the core and hips are stable and the muscles work together in balance.  Massage (Tui Na) for chronic low back pain Massage (Tui Na), manual therapy and soft tissue manipulation have the same goal: manually, with hands or with various tools break up stiffness, tightness, improve circulation, blood flow, flexibility and to reduce pain. Massage is usually relaxing and calming for the nervous system.  Moxibustion (moxa) for chronic low back pain Moxa (moxibustion) is a traditional form of dry heat therapy to increase blood flow to a painful area to decrease pain, and promote healing. During moxibustion an herb mugwort is being burnt over the skin. On this picture a moxabox is being used to protect the skin. Moxibustion is very relaxing.
CLICK HERE to book your appointment today if you have low back pain. With proper evaluation and treatment, healing is very much possible.
As each individual vertebrae articulates, these small muscles are activated. This is important, because research shows that very often with low back pain these small muscles are dormant and the global stabilizers (erector spinae muscles) become overactive.
When this happens you start to feel those long erector spinae muscles becoming tight, overdeveloped, and eventually painful. When you incorporate spinal articulation into your workouts you reawaken the small multifidi, which allow those long, bigger erector spinae muscles to relax. The outcome: your pain disappears.
Junctions (SO CT TL LS) tend to be stiff. Mid regions tend to be hyper mobile. Stiff areas aren’t usually painful, hyper mobile areas tend to be painful - just like in real life - the victims cry not the perpetrators. However if you don’t treat both, ultimately you won’t be succesful.
Therefore you have to strengthen the hypermobile and mobilizing the hypomobile parts. And one of the best and most effective ways is, by doing exercises focused on spinal articulations.
Trauma Ointment 1. a poultice, just like Herbal Ice. Applied to areas of large bruises (which we call blood stasis in Chinese Medicine) to move blood and reduce pain, fasten the absorption of congealed blood. Kept on for 24 hours.
Blood Stasis Pill taken internally instead of pain killers or anti inflammatories to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling. Subacute: Tendon Lotion an external topical, more warming than Trauma Liniment. For Stage 2 tendonitis, or older injuries, like older ankle sprains, tendinosis that never healed properly. Alcohol based. U-I Oil fantastic for muscles and joints that ache in damp, cold weather, pain that is worse in the cold. Trauma Ointment 2. a poultice. This is great for bruises that have a hard time absorbing and still feel there’s a remaining lump in it. Bonesetter Special Pill follow up formula from Blood Stasis Pill, to reduce pain, improve healing. Less reducing and more tonifying herbs in this formula. Taken internally. Bone Knitting Pill for fractures that struggle knitting and healing (elderly, frail, weak). The herbs in the formula help nourish the body (what we call Kidney Yin and Yang) Chronic: Warming Soak a soak to soak body parts like ankle, elbow, wrist. Great for old injuries that were over iced or are painful in cold, damp weather. Bone Spur Soak great soak for bone spurs in the heel or shoulder. Collateral Liniment warming topical for chronic injuries, chronic pain like dull low back pain, or nagging neck pain. Questions which products to purchase? Email us Struggling with pain? Come in for a session. |
