Back Pain Treatment in Portland, Maine
Whether you're dealing with a recent injury or pain that has persisted for years, Chinese medicine offers an effective approach to resolving back pain and restoring mobility.
How We Approach Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common conditions we treat and no two cases look the same. Presentations range from acute injury and muscle spasm to chronic tension, disc issues, sciatica, and everything in between.
Treatment begins with hands-on assessment. We use medical massage to palpate the affected area, identify where tension is held, and get circulation moving. In orthopedic work, it's important to look upstream and downstream from the site of pain. Often, the source of the problem is not where the pain is felt most. Dry needling is then used to target specific tissues, working to release and lengthen muscle fibers and restore healthy blood flow through the area of injury.
Chinese medicine uses the Sinew Channels as a guiding map for musculoskeletal treatment. Also referred to as Tendo-Meridian Channels, the Sinew Channels are 12 myofascial pathways, each mapping a distinct trajectory through the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body. These trajectories are broad and often overlap, which is why most back pain presentations involve more than one channel. Understanding which channels are affected allows us to treat not just the site of pain, but the underlying pattern driving it.
Cupping and heat therapy are incorporated when appropriate to further support circulation and tissue release.
What to Expect
Most back pain patients come in for three to five sessions, though this varies depending on how long the pain has been present. A back injury from last week responds very differently than tension that has built up over five to ten years. Age, overall health, and the robustness of your circulation all play a role in how quickly your body heals. Orthopedic work is fundamentally about increasing blood flow through areas of tightness. Knotted muscle fibers need healthy blood flow to soften and heal.
Who We Treat
We work with all types of back pain patients, from endurance athletes and active individuals to desk workers and elderly patients. If your back pain has been difficult to resolve through physical therapy, chiropractic care, or pain management, Chinese medicine may offer a different and effective path forward.
Ready to treat your back pain?
Schedule your first appointment or book a free phone consultation to discuss your treatment options.