Back pain is the No. 1 reason why people seek acupuncture. It often stems from an underlying spinal disorder. At Elemental Acupuncture in Tuckahoe, New York, acupuncturist Bethany Leddy, DACM, MSOM, specializes in treating spinal disorders using techniques like acupuncture and moxibustion. To find out how Chinese medicine can improve your spinal disorder, call Elemental Acupuncture or book a consultation online today.
Spinal disorders are conditions that originate in your spine. These conditions tend to cause pain because they can compress nerve roots exiting your spinal cord. Based on where these nerve roots travel, you can experience widespread symptoms in parts of your body other than your back.
Some of the most common symptoms of spinal disorders are:
Rarely, spinal disorders can cause bladder or bowel incontinence or a severe loss of leg function. In these cases, surgical treatment may be necessary. If you don’t have these symptoms, nonsurgical treatment, including acupuncture, can suffice.
At Elemental Acupuncture, Dr. Leddy uses customized acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine to treat common spinal disorders, including:
Disc degeneration happens due to age-related changes in your spinal discs. Between each vertebra, spinal discs are round structures that provide cushioning and shock absorption. When they degrade over time, they can herniate and pinch nearby nerve roots and cause spinal instability.
Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine, causing the spine to appear curvy even if you’re looking at it head-on from the back. A spine with normal curvature only looks curved from the side. Scoliosis can cause unusual muscle tightness in the back, resulting in back pain.
Spinal stenosis can come from a variety of injuries, growths, and abnormal spinal features. It’s the narrowing of a spinal canal, which tends to pinch nerves in the region.
Elemental Acupuncture treats various spinal disorders using customized acupuncture treatments. While you should visit a neurologist’s office first to confirm your diagnosis, Dr. Leddy uses acupuncture to relax your muscles, reduce nerve pain, and alleviate tension.
Acupuncture involves placing very fine needles at specific points in your skin along energy pathways called meridians. These needles balance the flow of energy while also promoting blood flow and loosening trigger points.
Dr. Leddy may also recommend strategic stretching, nutritional supplements, and additional Chinese medicine treatments. Moxibustion, for example, involves a smoking herb against your skin to increase blood flow to the area. It’s an effective addition to treatment for sciatica in particular.
Call Elemental Acupuncture or book a spinal disorder treatment consultation online today.