Bladder Helps in Acupuncture Neck & Back Pain Treatment

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the bladder is one of the six yang organs, paired with one of the six yin organs. The yin organs store vital substances (such as Qi, blood, yin, and yang), whereas the yang organs are more active and have a function of constantly filling and emptying. The bladder is a perfect example of a yang organ. Its main physiological function is to remove water from the body in the form of urine. To do this, the bladder uses Qi (energy) and heat from its paired yin organ, the kidneys.

Obviously urination is an essential component to the functioning of our bodies, and as such, the bladder plays a vital role through its filling and emptying of urine.

However, the bladder system in TCM has far more influence in the body than just over fluid transformation and excretion. As mentioned above, each yang organ is paired with a yin organ, and the bladder is paired with the kidneys. The kidneys are one of the most important energy systems in TCM, they store some of our deepest levels of energy, being the root of all yin and yang in the body and hold our essence. The kidneys often exert an effect on the bladder system when there is a weakness, this means that sometimes problems with the kidney energy can be detected and treated sooner by treating the bladder or the bladder channel. An example is low back pain. The kidneys in TCM govern the low back and the knees. The bladder meridian runs down the length of the back in not one but two trajectories on either side of the spine. Most forms of low back pain can be treated with bladder points on the back, as well as bladder points on the backs of the legs.

In acupuncture, one of the most essential aspects of the bladder channel is treating the back. The bladder channel runs from the inner canthus of the eye, over the top of the head, down the neck and the back on either side of the spine, through the sacrum and down the back of the leg to the knee. Then the channel travels back up to the top of the back and begins its downward trajectory again, tracing another trail down the length of the back, more lateral than the first. It then continues down the back of the leg to the outside of the pinky toe. The bladder channels trajectory makes it a powerful channel for treating most kinds of neck, back, sacral, hamstring, calf and achilles pain. It is particularly helpful when there is a pain condition affecting more than one of these sites.

Every energy system in TCM exerts an effect on both the physical body and the mental/emotional self. The kidneys are associated with fear – this means excessive fear will weaken the kidneys, but irrational fear can also be a symptom of a kidney imbalance. As the bladder is linked to the kidneys, it can be used to support the kidneys in treating fear. When the bladder itself is out of balance, there may be negative emotions such as jealousy, suspicion and inability to let go of grudges.

To take care of the bladder, make sure you drink plenty of non-caffeinated, non-sugary beverages throughout the day to optimize its water transforming function. Eating a kidney-nourishing diet will also help the bladder energy. To keep energy flowing optimally through the bladder meridian, make sure to stretch! Create a daily stretching routine that includes stretches for the whole posterior portion of the body. You might think about including foam rolling, massage, myofascial release, cupping, gua sha or tuina. For more information on how acupuncture can help with your pain, contact us and make an appointment at our Portland area office.

One of the most common things bringing someone into our office is lower back pain, often times radiating down into the hips or legs. In fact, according to the National Institute of Health, back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in our country today ¹! Americans spend billions of dollars addressing this issue, and it often affects work productivity. Though there are a myriad of causes for back pain, some more treatable than others, let’s take a look at how acupuncture can help the situation.

When I’m evaluating a patient with back pain, I’m curious about the following: How long has it been going on? Did it start suddenly, or gradually over a long period of time? Where does it hurt and when? What does the pain feel like, and are there any other neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning, muscle weakness? All this information gives me a clue as to what structures – muscles, bones/joints, nerves – may be involved. As I tell my patients, acupuncture can be most helpful in the case of muscle strain or sprain, say, back pain after a long work out. In the case of damage or injury to a joint or vertebral disc, such as in a herniated disc, this is a much more challenging clinical scenario.

But, let’s just say you are having low back pain that is not related to any spine or disc damage. Being an acupuncturist very much so practicing in the intersection between western anatomy and physiology and Chinese theory, one of my favorite strategies clinically is to look at the muscle groups most likely affected. I often get great success addressing the quadratus lumborum – a muscle that attaches to your lower rib, vertebrae and rim of the pelvis – and helps you bend to one side. If you have one-sided back pain and have a hard time moving to one side or twisting, chances are, this muscle is acting up in a big way. By finding tight places on the edge of this muscle and along the pelvis, I can help release spasm with just a few needles.

Drawing of QL in bright red

Another key structure is the piriformis muscle – deep under the gluteal muscles of the buttock, and often known for its role in putting pressure on the sciatic nerve causes pain down the leg. Most commonly, the sciatic nerve lies underneath the piriformis, but some anatomical variations show the nerve running on top, or even through the muscle. When the piriformis is tense or in spasm it can place a lot of pressure on the sciatic nerve. The acupuncture point Gallbladder 30(GB30) lies right at the middle point of this muscle, and even a single needle here can significantly reduce tension and pain.

Diagram of piriformis muscle, sciatic nerve in yellow

While back pain can be quite complex, I find that these structures are often involved, and can offer immediate relief when successfully treated. My college dance mentor always used to say “use the power of the pelvis!”, and I find that even in addressing lower back pain, addressing tension and imbalance down through the pelvis and hips can affect the low back directly above. And, both these muscle groups can be easily stretched at home for continued relief!

¹ “Low Back Pain Fact Sheet.” Low Back Pain Face Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. National Institute of Health, July 2003. Web. June 24, 2014. < http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm>

² “Quadratus Lumborum Muscle.” Wikipedia: Quadratus Lumborum. Wikipedia, May 18, 2014. Web. June 24, 2014. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadratus_lumborum_muscle>

³ Golob, Kelly. “Can the Piriformis muscle cause Sciatica?” Olympia Sports Chiropractor, March 21, 2011. Web. June 24, 2014. < http://www.olympiasportschiropractor.com/2011/03/21/piriformis-muscle-sciatica/>