Head, Back, Neck & Joint Pain | Acupuncture in Oberwil BL | Lily TCM
TCM pain treatment: addressing tension, pulling forces and disrupted Qi and blood flow
Back pain after gardening in a bent position, knee pain when walking or climbing stairs, or a stiff neck, tense shoulders and headaches after long hours at a computer: acupuncture aims to do more than temporarily relieve pain at the painful spot. It seeks to address the source of the discomfort.
A single episode of excessive strain, or an ongoing load, can cause muscles and soft tissues to become fatigued, injured or tense as a protective response. Tense or spasming muscles may continually pull at their attachment points on bones, altering movement and loading in nearby joints. Surrounding nerves may also become irritated, causing pain.
Treatment begins by relieving muscle tension, spasms and pulling forces. This reduces abnormal muscular pull on the bones, giving them an opportunity to regain their original functional position and condition. Pain may then improve. Physiotherapy can subsequently help rebuild strength and stability.
Acupuncture can target the painful area while also addressing associated tension and functional limitations. My approach uses needling to help interrupt the cycle of persistent tension, increasing pull, restricted movement and worsening pain, helping you gradually regain mobility.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the functional state of muscles, nerves and internal organs is closely related to Qi and blood. Promoting their flow is considered one of acupuncture’s particular strengths. A traditional saying describes two sources of pain: blocked flow and insufficient nourishment. When the flow of Qi and blood is obstructed and the channels are not freely accessible, pain may arise. Insufficient Qi and blood may also cause pain when muscles and tendons are inadequately nourished. Acupuncture addresses Qi and blood flow and the channels, alongside muscle tension, restricted movement and changes in mechanical loading.
How can needling guide Qi and blood?
Within this TCM explanation, you can think of it this way: when a needle enters the body, the body immediately notices the external stimulus and directs its attention towards the insertion site. Its instinctive response is to process the stimulus and expel the foreign object. Qi and blood are therefore mobilised in the surrounding area in response to the needle.
In Chinese medicine, specific sites along the channels where Qi and blood can be mobilised and influenced therapeutically are called acupuncture points. The practitioner selects the points and needling technique according to your condition and the treatment goal. This guides the response of Qi and blood towards the areas being treated, supporting the affected tissues and their function.
With joint pain, look beyond the joint itself
Take knee pain as an example. Diagnoses such as knee osteoarthritis or patellofemoral pain describe the condition of the knee. For some knee pain, however, it is also useful to examine the ankle, hip, pelvis and surrounding soft tissues. I check for tenderness around the ankle, assess hip mobility and the position of the pelvis, and consider whether surgical scars are pulling on nearby tissues.
Scars may also be associated with pain elsewhere
In my clinical practice, I have seen cases in which a lower abdominal scar was associated with shoulder pain, or an ankle scar with knee pain. When scar tissue pulls on surrounding muscles and fascia, movement may transmit that tension to other areas. After needling the tissues around the scar and reducing the local pull, these patients also experienced improvement in pain at the more distant sites.
This is why I also examine scars and related soft tissues when treating pain. Sometimes the source of discomfort is not entirely at the spot you first point to.
Pain worsened by cold or damp weather: moxibustion may help
Some people experience more joint and muscle pain when they feel cold, in damp or rainy weather, or when temperatures fall. Chinese medicine considers the external climate together with the body’s capacity to generate warmth and the flow of Qi and blood. For sensitivity to cold or pain that worsens after exposure to cold, treatment may be supplemented with moxibustion according to individual needs. It is intended to provide warmth, support Qi and blood flow and relieve discomfort aggravated by cold.
Pain is a warning signal and a call for help from the body. It should be taken seriously and treated from the outset, so that the body does not remain exposed to unfavourable pulling forces and loads. The aim is to address more than the pain itself. Where surgery is not indicated, I regard acupuncture as a valuable option for pain treatment.
Acupuncture for pain in Oberwil
Lily TCM in Oberwil offers TCM treatment for back and neck pain, shoulder problems, headaches, sciatica, joint pain and other recurring pain. If you are looking for acupuncture or naturopathic treatment, you can book an appointment from Binningen, Bottmingen, Therwil, Biel-Benken, Basel, Ettingen and the surrounding area.
Book an appointment at Lily TCM. Together, we can discuss where your pain treatment can begin.