People make trips to doctors with unexpected lower back pain regardless of gender and age. It is more common amongst men in their forties and fifties but age is not the only reason. A simple lower back muscle strain might be excruciating enough head straight to the emergency room.
Patients with back pain express their problem as a “sudden immobile state of the lower torso” after sleeping in an awkward position or a weighed down feeling on the lower back as if something heavy is stuck to it.
Three out-patients visited the hospital for lower back pain this week. One said, “The sunny weather called me out to do some gardening and I bent over to lift a heavy flower pot when I experienced sudden pain.” Another said, “I recently moved so I have been doing a lot of heavy lifting.” The third patient said, “I met my nephew and when I bent over to lift him up all of a sudden I felt acute pain in my lower back and fell to my knees.”
The spine is like a pillar or the shaft of a building holding the body in an upright position. The lumbar vertebrae, the lower part of the spine, consist of five vertebrae tightly held together with discs sandwiched between each of them that absorbs impact and forms the curvature of the spine. The fiber-based contour of the disc limits the range of movement and works as a strong adhesive for the vertebrae.
There are also long and short ligaments supporting them which protect the discs from protruding and hold the bones together. With these strong bonds, there are more than ten different layers of muscle groups covering the vertebrae and the back. The lumbar vertebrae holds up the majority of the body’s weight that even with all these layers of protection to maintain and strengthen its form and function, muscle tissue can be stretched at times of sudden activity as lifting heavy object in an improper position.
According to “Donguibogam,” a medical encyclopedia compiled during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), straining the lower back muscles is mentioned as one of ten types of lower back pain. The pain caused by a pulled back muscle can be treated with traditional Korean medicine. The rear is considered to be the yang part of the body as distinguished from the front which is yin. Think of the human body as a four legged animal. The front part becomes the inner side whereas the back becomes the outer surface of the body. “Qi” energy flows throughout the body within the path called meridians. The yang part of the body runs along yang meridians and the back has longitudinal yang meridian channels flowing downwards.
According to “Donguibogam,” moxibustioning 21 times on the 23rd BL channel acupuncture point, about an inch lateral to the lower back midline in between the second and third lumbar vertebrae processes, may alleviate lower back pain. Moxibustion is a traditional method of treatment in Korean Oriental medicine. Dried mugwort (the older the better) is ground into a fine fluff which is rolled into a 1 by 3 millimeter long stick-shaped form. It is singed directly or indirectly on the acupuncture point. You may have experienced moxa treatment at clinics with different forms of medical equipment.
Back pain makes it difficult to engage in even the simplest task such as bending down to tie shoe laces. Here are some tips to prevent straining the lower back muscles. Avoid autonomous sitting (sitting on the floor without any back support) for an extended period of time.
This position puts 30 percent more burden on the lower back muscles. When lying in bed, always have your knees bent. Avoid reading or working while lying down. This dorsal recumbent position puts less stress on the back muscles. Finally, if you have acute pain from muscle strain, always remember to place an ice-pack on the afflicted area right away.
