Suffering from low back or sciatica pain? Check your pulse to know the root cause.

Low back pain may be acute or chronic.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) way of analysis

Acute Low back pain: Acute pain in the lower back is due to either sprain or invasion of Cold. If it is due to sprain, the pain is intense, with pronounced stiffness, and is improved by rest and aggravated by movement; this pain is due to local stagnation of Qi and Blood. If the pain is due to invasion of Cold, it is worse with rest, usually worse in the mornings, and alleviated by gentle movement. Warming the area gives relief from the pain.

Chronic lower back pain:  is due to a Kidney yin or yang deficiency, in which case the back pain is alleviated by rest and aggravated by overwork and excessive sexual activity. Pain of the lower back extending to the upper back is usually due to a combination of Kidney deficiency and Liver-Qi stagnation.

• Kidney yang deficiency: This is a chronic condition which takes place when the body’s Yang energy is spontaneously deficient. Kidneys control bone strength and they needs to be cool to perform their normal operations. But too much kidney coldness impairs their operation which may lead to fluid retention and accumulation near the joints, bones (primarily affecting lower back since it is nearer).
• Kidney yin deficiency: This is a chronic condition which takes place when the body’s Yin energies are depleted. The decrease of Yin may lead to symptoms of apparent excess of Yang, such as feelings of heat. Too much kidney heat evaporates fluids near the joints, bones resulting in pain, as these fluids are very much essential for smoothing action of bones.

Did you know?

Kidney yang deficiency and Kidney yin deficiency both are chronic conditions, but treatment, food and life style recommendations are completely different for each them. Checking pulse and treating patient gives immediate results than treating based on symptoms.

Did you know?

If an individual under the age of 30-35 is experiencing low back pain due to yin or yang deficiency, it is imperative for them to adhere to strict dietary and lifestyle recommendations. Failing to address these deficiencies may result in the development of chronic issues, such as arthritis, in later stages of life. Taking proactive measures to address yin or yang imbalances through personalized diet and lifestyle adjustments can contribute to the prevention of long-term health complications.

Sciatica Pain

The uniqueness of nadi pariksha, or pulse diagnosis, lies in its ability to not only identify the root cause of a health issue but also to diagnose the path of radiating pain or numbness. The affected channels, revealing the trajectory of pain or numbness, can be precisely determined through this diagnostic method. For instance, in cases of sciatica pain or numbness, the affected channels typically include the Urinary Bladder, Gall-Bladder, or Stomach, often involving more than one channel simultaneously. This detailed insight enhances the effectiveness of diagnosis and contributes to a more targeted approach in addressing the issue.

The orange color line in the above graphs are meridian lines and the path of the pain can be determined by organ patterns derived from pulse.

Example,

1. If pulse says damp heat in stomach, then patient complain about radiating pain such as knee pain, hip joint pain, sciatica pain, thigh pain, chest pain along stomach channel.
2. If pulse says urinary bladder heat, then patient complain about leg pulling sensation at back, low back pain, sciatica pain along bladder channel.
3. If pulse says empty heat in gall-bladder, then patient complain about leg pain along sideways, hip joint pain, sciatica pain, and one side headache along gall-bladder channel.

Note: Low back pain or sciatica pain may occur due body heat or cold. Hence, checking nadi is very important before treating the problem

Case study:

A 56 year old woman had been suffering from hip joint pain, low back pain and more sweating. She also complain about sole burning sensation and her sleep was very disturbed. She also feels more thirst.

Diagnosis: After checking her pulse using Nadifit, it is identified that damp heat in spleen/stomach. Dampness is heavy which creates more sweating and it moves downwards, when it combines with heat makes burning sensation in legs and feet. Since damp heat in stomach which makes pain along stomach channel and here patient suffers from hip joint pain. Since heat is a yang energy results in disturbed sleep.

Solution: According to Nadifit, her dampness as well as heat levels in the spleen/stomach should be minimized. She should avoid foods which creates more dampness and heat. Specific Acupuncture and Acupressure points suggested by the Nadifit can also help to overcome her problem. 

Conclusion

Nadi pariksha, or pulse diagnosis, stands out in its capacity to go beyond pinpointing the root cause of a health issue. It possesses the unique ability to diagnose the trajectory of radiating pain or numbness associated with the condition. For instance, an individual experiencing lung/large intestine heat or stagnation may also encounter shoulder pain along the corresponding meridian. Similarly, a person with gallbladder heat issues may suffer from a one-sided headache. Nadifit excels into a comprehensive analysis of nadi patterns to recommend specific solutions tailored to address a given problem. To gain more insights, explore your pulse using Nadifit.

-Written by Division of Research and Development, Neubotz Technologies, for Nadifit.