If you are reading this because you are experiencing low back pain right now, I am very sorry to hear that. I have tweaked my back a few times since the age of 35, and it has sucked each time. At first, I attributed it to aging. After it happened a few times, I started to see the definite patterns for me. Every time I injured my back, I was stressed about something, thought I was too busy to exercise, and was putting my spine in a convoluted position.
When you experience stress and anxiety, your body releases cortisol and adrenaline, and involuntary tightening of muscles occur. It is almost like your body wants to act like a shield against the stressors. In my case, lack of exercise and stretching and not being mindful of my body/mind balance were added to the mix when I injured my back.
In most of these cases, low back pain is due to the strain of muscles and ligaments around the lumbar spine. In Japanese acupuncture, we consider this stress-induced model as “adrenal fatigue” and focus on Kidney and Bladder channels to treat the low back pain.
As shown in the diagram, Bladder channels run along the spine. Also, the points (Bladder 58) on the calves are sort of like trigger points for releasing the low back tension in our tradition.
*Individual results may vary.
