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Case 1: Disc Hernia
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| Contracted muscles press the spine and push
the disc |
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| Symptoms appeared as sciatica |
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In 2001, a carpenter, Mr. Y (aged 31, male)
came to my office because of the serious
pain and numbness from the left hip to foot.
It was the symptoms of sciatica.
He was one of my friends ever since a basketball
circle. He used to repeat
lumbago.
He played basketball for many years. The
sudden trouble attacked him two months after
he had left off.
It often happens. Certainly, to move too
hard sometimes causes the muscle troubles.
But, muscle is made to move. Moving calls
the circulation of the blood which cleans
up the fatigue substance. |
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| ■ symptoms / ■ source |
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I was sure I could cure him easily. After
the treatment, almost all the pain faded
away.
But he called me the next day. He told me
the entire symptoms had come back early in
the morning. He came again. I tried every
treatment next to next.
However he seemed to be released
once, the
same symptoms came back three
hours later.
The evidence follows that his trouble should
be the organic disease. |
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| Hernia vanished 4 weeks later by natural
recovery |
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Mr. Y consulted a doctor. The MRI founds
his fourth lumbar disc slipped out. The diagnosis
was intervertebral disc hernia.
Mr. Y had not any pain in the lumbar part
but only in the hip to foot. Therefore he
never expected the spine was the cause of
his symptoms.
The doctor said he probably would cure without
an operation. So he chose to rest at home.
At the beginning his pain was too severe
to endure. As time went on, the pain became
less and less. Then he began to realize something
that was wrong with his lumbar part.
Four weeks later, his pain and numbness faded
away completely, as the hernia had already
vanished.
I know some clients who have received the
operation for disc hernia. Some of them have
numbness for long years. Several clients
remain paralysis of the muscles of the shin,
who have difficulty in lifting up the toes.
See a followed example. |
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| source |
paralyzed nerve |
paralyzed muscles of the shin |
Sciatic nerve
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Deep peroneal nerve |
Tibialis anterior |
→ figure:a2-1 |
| Extensor hallucis longus |
| Extensor digitorum longus |
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From my experience, EAT (electro-Acupuncture-Therapy) brings to
them about 70% recovery, on the
condition
that it needs a remarkable self-training.
(I'm sorry the description of these cases
are written only in my Japanese site. If
you are interested, go to → case #56...) |
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| The spine is a party |
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The spine is not a "column", but
a party.
A total of 24 vertebras and the sacrospinalis
are connected by ligament and muscles to
take the form of a column.
An example, Erector spinae, is a main muscle.
(Shown in the right figure →)
There are a lot of muscles to support the
column.
Like water in a vessel, the spine is formed
from a pattern of muscles.
Each muscle has its own length, positions
severally, and contracts its own way.
A variety of muscles make it possible for
the column to move variously. |
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There are some skeletal differentia between
men and women. The nervous troubles caused
of the neck (cervical spine) occur equally.
But about the lumbar hernia, all the patients
whom I have treated are men.
Let me add a few more words for caution's
sake. From my experience, man's aging starts
with his lumbar spine, and woman's aging
starts with her pelvis. |
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| Reason for the pressure is not G |
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Mr. Y's affected part is 4th lumbar disc
(■) shown in the upper figure. "Hernia"
means "something is pushed out from
a narrow gap".
The upper and the lower vertebras forcefully
press the disc to push out, which invade
the sciatic nerve. Now, what force presses
the disc?
I have learned in my Acupuncture school;
the human stands on two legs. His head is
too heavy to support against the gravity.
Then the spinal troubles began.
I think the reason for the pressure
is not
the gravity but the force of
contracted muscles.
The muscle works by contraction. Working
hard without rest, fatigue substances, such
as lactic acid, accumulate in the muscle.
So the muscle becomes stiff and shortens.
The shortened muscle pulls and pulls, at
last it undermines a person's constitution.
The case of Mr. Y, who had always the stiffness
in the back, came to my office only when
he couldn't move. While he ignored a small
pain, his muscles became shorter and shorter
and forcefully pulled the vertebras, at last
his disc was pushed out. Then his nerve suffered
a continual damage day and night.
Eventually it needs so long time to cure
such a structural damage. If he had received
Acupuncture before the hernia, he would cure
by a couple of treatments. So it is one of
the regretful cases of my career. |
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| Hernia and Acupuncture treatment |
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When you have the symptoms similar to Mr.
Y, you may choose Acupuncture as a first
step. The pressure is dangerous to a destroyed
body. Different from Physiotherapy, I'm sure
Acupuncture would not apply any physical
pressure.
Mr. Y had no idea the cause existed in the
spine, but I knew it. I treated both the
cause and symptoms. Anyhow, I always treat
the whole body in all cases.
Qi is a vital energy. To maintain the balance
of energy, cure roughly almost all the tiny
troubles. The arms and the legs, where exist
many powerful acupoints, work as exhaust
pipes. As clean up the extremities, the stagnancy
of the trunk is made to get away.
After a general treatment, I take away the
remained stiffness one by one by acu-needles.
Sometimes I add Moxibustion as a finishing
touches.
These treatments make the body soften and
warm. Old stagnant blood seems to emit a
sign of pain. As calling a fresh blood, such
pain emitters run away.
Besides, Acupuncture has a "painkiller
effect". As being shot by acu-needles,
the body secrets an endorphin, a morphine-like
hormones, called a "runners high".
Although the pain continues until the obstruction
(= hernia) vanishes, the momentary relief
is useful, I think. Fresh blood makes you
hasten to cure. So Acupuncture helps your
spontaneous recovery. |
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| To check signs from the body leads you to
better life |
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After the hernia vanished, muscles around
the column remain as they had been. If you
leave it, you may repeat the same trouble.
Most people, at first, come to my office
because of the difficulty of moving. I cure
the muscular trouble by a couple of treatments.
Then they know it is easier if they come
earlier.
They begin to find the sign from the body,
such as, "my back says something",
"my back is foggy", "I have
a strange sensation in the leg", and
so on.
I recommend my clients to receive
a routine
maintenance. So you will be able
to cure
before sickness. The true charm
of Acupuncture
exists in the unit of years.
Actually, my
clients who continue the maintenance
become
more healthy and younger little
by little.
As I have written in my "Ryokochan Walk" for correct walking, I have some cases
where Acupuncture won't achieve the "complete
recovery".
To move well is to cure well. Even if you
have no chance to meet Acupuncture, everyday
self-training greatly helps you.
Human body is made to move. Acupuncture,
some stretch and some sports are the Trinity
to realize the energetic life.
Incidentally, I propose to you to practice
my "360° Ryokochan Stretch", too. |
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| Updated: 2020/6/4 |
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