Is lumbar pain a herniated disc?

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is one of the more common diseases, mainly due to different degrees of degenerative changes in various parts of the lumbar intervertebral disc, under the action of external factors, the intervertebral disc fibrous ring rupture, the nucleus pulposus tissue from the rupture protrudes (prolapses) in the posterior spinal canal, resulting in adjacent spinal nerve root stimulation or compression, resulting in lumbar pain, one or both lower limbs numbness, pain, etc. A series of clinical symptoms, belonging to the category of “back pain disease” and “paralysis” in Chinese medicine. The incidence of lumbar disc herniation is highest in L4-5 and L5-S1, accounting for about 95%. Because of the pain and mobility problems, it has a great impact on the life, work and labor of patients and their families. Low back pain is the first symptom that occurs in most patients with lumbar disc herniation, but not all patients with lumbar disc herniation will experience low back pain. Therefore, patients often have two misconceptions, one is that they are not lumbar disc herniation patients if they do not have back pain, and the other is that they have lumbar disc herniation when they find themselves with back pain, in fact, both of these views are incorrect. With the current technology, about 80% of patients with low back pain are unable to identify its exact cause, so collectively they are called idiopathic low back pain, or lumbago for short. In reality, low back pain has many other names or aliases, such as lumbar muscle strain, myofasciitis, lumbar muscle sprain, contusion, myofibrositis …… of course, people are most familiar with the “lumbar disc herniation”. In fact, the lumbar disc herniation only accounts for a small, small part of it. In the treatment, the principle of deficiency is adopted, while the principle of solid is adopted, which is to unblock qi and blood, move qi and relieve pain to treat its symptoms; to nourish liver and kidney, and to strengthen tendons and bones to treat its root. From the research in recent years, it can be seen that although Chinese medicine has shortcomings in the treatment of this disease, but the advantages are more obvious compared with Western medicine, and the acupuncture and massage therapy in Chinese medicine is effective in treating lumbar disc herniation. Through acupressure techniques, nerve roots can be decompressed, anatomical position abnormalities can be corrected, small joints and muscle adhesions can be loosened, and local qi and blood circulation can be improved, which is conducive to relieving the symptoms of lumbar pain. Acupuncture treatment for this disease can make the needle sensation reach the disease place directly, release muscle spasm, and unblock the Governor’s vein and bladder meridian, thus improving the symptoms of lumbar discomfort, local pain and restricted movement.