Posts Tagged ‘stretches’
3 Essential Back Stretches
Sep 1, 2010
This is the third post about how to treat back pain with acupuncture.
Back stretches and exercises are helpful to loosen your back and keep it pain free. I use them in conjunction with acupuncture.
Here are three stretches to loosen your back, relieve tightness, and prevent pain. Go slowly and don’t overdo it in order to avoid injury.
Bouncing
Bouncing is a great way to loosen up the back. Place your hands on your lower back and gently bounce at the knees. If you have tight spots, make your hand into a fist and massage them out.
Rotate the Waist
Put your hands on your back and rotate at the waist. The goal is to keep your shoulders and ankles steady, and move the waist in a circle. This will loosen the muscles of the lumbar, hips, and pelvis.
Rotate the Waist
Rotating the Waist
Tilting the Pelvis (This is going to look a little like Dirty Dancing)
Tilting the Hips Back
Tilt the hips forward
Put your hands on your hips. Tip your butt backwards to tilt the pelvis. Now, tilt the pelvis up int the front, and repeat 9 times.
The combination of these exercises will help you loosen and, over time, strengthen your lower back.
Call 917-887-4946 to find out more about acupuncture for chronic back pain.
Relieve Back Pain with Acupuncture
Aug 30, 2010
This is the second post focusing on acupuncture for back pain relief. In my last post, I wrote about an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in support of acupuncture for back pain. Today I will explain how acupuncture works for chronic back pain.
Acupuncture for Back Pain
Acupuncture is a Natural Choice for back pain treatment
Back pain is one of the most common reasons to go to the doctor as well as miss work. It decreases quality of life and causes people to avoid activities they would normally enjoy. Acupuncture is one of the best ways to treat back pain.
Acupuncture is over 2000 years old, and has a long track record of treating back pain. Acupuncture needles are solid, there is no medication in or on the needle. It is not anesthesia that helps to reduce the pain. Acupuncture works by stimulating the body to heal itself. It does this through relaxing the back muscles, stimulating the release of anti-inflammatory chemicals, and regulating how the brain feels pain.
Acupuncture needles, placed in specific points correct imbalances that can cause back pain. The two major imbalances that cause chronic back pain are inhibition of qi (energy) circulation and too little qi.
Kidney 3
Back pain treatment will most often be focused on the back. Needles will also be placed in other areas to stimulate movement of the energy and increase production of the energy. Two effective points for this could be inside the ankle on Kidney 3, or on the calf at UB 57.
In my next post, I will write about a few stretches that work with the acupuncture to relieve back muscles pain.
Please call us at 917-887-4946 to schedule an acupuncture appointment.
Five Essential Stretches for Neck Pain
Mar 5, 2009
After sitting down at my computer for a few hours I often notice a nagging 
pain in my neck. More than the automatic updates, the random pop-ups, or the crashing of my computer, I attribute it to sitting for long periods of time without getting up to move and stretch.
An ancient Chinese medicine saying states, “When qi moves freely, there is no pain. When qi stops, pain occurs.” Qi, the body’s energy, must circulate for good health. When its flow is impeded, pain and disease occurs. (For a more detailed explanation of qi circulation and pain, please see this post). The details of diagnosis and treatment can be very complicated, but in general we can say that the greater the pain, the worse the stagnation.
I find patients generally follow a downward spiral towards chronic pain. An injury or minor pain makes a person use that part of their body less, which then leads to greater stagnation and an increase in pain. Whether it is neck pain, back pain, hip pain, tendonitis, knee pain, or frozen shoulder, the quicker you are able to move the joint and regain normal qi flow, the faster and more sustainable the recovery.
Getting up from the computer, to do stretches of the neck, shoulders, and arms often helps my pain. Sometimes stretching is not enough for those in chronic pain. Combining stretching and exercise with acupuncture and Chinese herbs can often speed up relief and lead to a more sustainable recovery.
The Five Essential Stretches for neck pain
Dr. Xiao, and Students, I am on the far right
Dr. Xiao, my Tui Na (Chinese Medical Massage) professor in Hunan China, was famous not only for his technique, the Gun Fa (rolling technique), but also for his compassion for his patients and dedication to their health. In addition to his treatment, he educated his patients and their families about how to maintain and improve health through exercises and stretches. “Every person, not just those in pain, should do these exercises to keep their body loose and their qi moving,” Dr Xiao instructed me. “Remember to smile, it will help your qi flow.”
The following simple movements can help alleviate and prevent neck pain by relaxing the muscles and increasing blood circulation. You may even find it helps you think clearer afterwards.
1. Relax Your Breathing. If you do nothing else, do this simple breathing technique. Natural breathing is the foundation for the mind and body to relax and for qi to flow throughout the body. Stand in a comfortable position with your feet shoulder width apart, arms at your side, and knees slightly bent. Breathe into your stomach, allowing your abdomen to gently rise on inhale and fall on the exhale. After practicing for a while, this type of breathing often becomes your natural breath and you will feel more relaxed and calm. For a more in depth explanation, read this post.
2. Shake It Out. Maintaining the relaxed breathing, slowly begin to rock your shoulders and arms back and forth. Gradually increase this movement and shake out any tension. Remember to smile and have fun with it. You might even try adding a hardy belly laugh.
3. Gaze at the Heavens and Earth. Standing in the same position, relax your face and eyes. Slowly, bend your neck down and look at the ground, allow your muscles to relax. Then gently raise your head and look up. Try not to focus your gaze on any one particular object, but relax and look into the distance. Repeat this motion for about ten repetitions.
4. Look Both Ways Before You Cross. From a forward looking position, rotate your head to the left. When you have reached your limit, hold your head there for a moment and inhale, then slowly turn your head back to the right. Be careful not to over rotate which can cause pain and injury.
5. Rotate your head. Very very slowly roll your head in circles. Keep your eyes and face relaxed. Start rolling to the right ten times and then to the left. This is great to do in the middle of the day if you have minor neck pain.
top photo: Irina Souiki
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