This was the day Fuuko from “Ashiya Tsushin,” who normally covers Ashiya, went to report on Nishinomiya’s Shinborigawa River.
There’s a Nessie in Shinborigawa? Ashiya doesn’t have one, so Nishinomiya really is amazing~
Ouch!
Ow, ow, ow… Maybe it was a bad idea coming somewhere I’m not used to, outside Ashiya…
Fuuko, are you okay?
Something went “ouch” in my lower back, so it might be acute back pain~
That sounds bad. Come to think of it, I think there’s a newly opened acupuncture clinic nearby.
You did well making it all the way here~
Yes. Somehow…
The place she arrived at while holding her lower back was “Hari-Kyu Massage Clinic Care Smile”, an acupuncture and massage clinic that just opened this May!
My lower back suddenly went ouch while I was reporting earlier… and it really hurts now!
I see. We’re actually appointment-only, but this is an emergency! First, please fill out this medical questionnaire.
This is Director Mizuguchi of Care Smile~.
After earning qualifications as an acupuncturist, moxibustion practitioner, anma massage therapist, and shiatsu practitioner at a school for the blind, he went on to study at a school in Tokyo. There, he encountered the concepts of modern acupuncture and moxibustion, and after 10 years of hands-on experience, opened an acupuncture and massage clinic in Koshienguchi.
Um, the pain started earlier when I bent down… and it hurts around here… Done writing!!
Hmm, I see… Okay, I’ll do a palpation exam now.
目次
Finding out what type of acute lower back pain it is through an interview and palpation
The pain is around here, right?
Yes! Ow ow ow ow…
During palpation, the practitioner carefully checks while touching the area, looking at how the pain changes with posture, such as leaning left and right, bending forward, or arching backward, as well as muscle tightness.
This allows them to pinpoint exactly where the injury is.
This allows them to pinpoint exactly where the injury is.
Hmm… Do you have any numbness in your legs?
No. My lower back hurts, but… my legs feel fine…
Be careful!
If you have something like numbness in both legs, go to an orthopedic clinic immediately! In some cases, surgery may be necessary.
*If you’re unsure what to do, Care Smile can recommend visiting a medical institution as needed during their interview and assessment of your condition.
If you have something like numbness in both legs, go to an orthopedic clinic immediately! In some cases, surgery may be necessary.
*If you’re unsure what to do, Care Smile can recommend visiting a medical institution as needed during their interview and assessment of your condition.
Now I’ll explain while showing you this tablet. By the way, even though people say “acute lower back pain,” it can broadly be divided into four types.
There isn’t just one kind of acute lower back pain?
- A type where pain occurs due to muscle inflammation.
- A type where an abnormality in an intervertebral disc causes pain.
- A type where pain occurs due to inflammation of the facet joints.
- A type where the sacroiliac joint, which forms part of the pelvis, is the source of the problem and causes pain.
Those are the four types I was checking for through the interview and palpation earlier.
Wow, so there are four types. It’s so easy to understand when you explain while moving realistic muscles and bones around in an app!
Acute lower back pain often heals on its own, but it also tends to come back
You came in right away today, but with acute lower back pain, the truth is that even if you do nothing, the pain usually drops to less than half within two weeks.
What!? The pain goes away even if you don’t do anything?
Yes. In many cases, the pain eases even without treatment. However, around 60% of people still have lingering pain, and there are also many cases where acute lower back pain comes back within a year.
Scary! So acute lower back pain can become chronic. Then, if I get acupuncture treatment, will it get better right away?
Most people who come in with acute lower back pain arrive unsteady on their feet or only able to walk very slowly, but after receiving acupuncture, many of them are able to walk home much more smoothly! Acupuncture treatment can also help prevent the pain from becoming chronic.
It hurts so much, doctor, please make the pain go away already~~!!
Does acupuncture hurt when the needles go in? Does it bleed?
Fuuko, have you ever had acupuncture treatment before?
Actually, this is my first time! You insert needles, right? Does it hurt after all?
