B: Back Pain/Sciatica
Patient came into the clinic with moderate to severe low back pain due to a bulging disc between L2 and L3. He also noted pain in his left glut that radiated into his left thigh. The patient is an avid snowboarder and very active in his day to day life and wanted to be able to continue his activities.
Upon palpation, the patient had very tight lumbar ESGs. His IT band was also very tight and ropey to the touch.
The goal of the acupuncture treatment was to soothe the Bladder and Gallbladder channels and to alleviate the pain.
The patient was asked to come in for treatment twice a week until his pain subsided to a mild level.
The patient responded very quickly to acupuncture and by the third treatment, he reported mild pain in his low back and the sciatica was gone. It was recommended to him to continue with weekly treatments until the pain was gone and 1-2 times per month after the pain resolved as long as he kept up his active lifestyle.
The patient was also encouraged to stretch before and after activity and to take Epsom salt baths after snowboarding.