OH MY ACHING LOWER BACK!

LOWER BACK SPASMS

It happens to just about everyone whether they are active in sports or not.  Muscle spasms in the lower back can not only be painful, they can be down right debilitating.  I suffered from a bad back for eight long years.  Taking classes for Japanese bodywork was so difficult for me as we worked on the floor.  Getting up and down was such a painful experience.  I endured because taking those classes was also a blessing.  The training and skills that I received and the help from other bodyworkers and acupuncturists fixed my back completely.  It was the beginning of my journey toward my professional career in Asian Medicine.  It is said that, "The teacher arrives when the student is ready."  Boy was I ready!

What had I done to throw myself into acute lower back pain which became a chronic problem for eight years?  YOGA.  I had done a yoga workout with a television show called "Lilias, Yoga and You" on PBS.  One peaceful and quiet winter morning in my Boston apartment I followed along with the show. The spare room with the TV was a bit cool and I was not warmed up properly.  I went into a position and all hell broke lose.  OWWWWW!  My back went into a huge spasm.  I tried to release it but the pain was enormous and then I did the absolute WRONG thing, I tried to stretch the spasm out.  I learned later that is the worst thing that you can do.  I ended up on two weeks disability from my corporate manager job struggling to take the subway to visit a chiropractor three times a week (which was not covered by insurance - more pain).  I was on OTC anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants and needing my partner to help me on and off the toilet.  I crawled from room to room.  The chiropractor told me that by stretching my spasmed lower back muscles I had created tears.  My back was going to take awhile to heal.  Eight years later I was still in pain working on the floor. And then everything changed.

Rather than get into my story further I want to get right to one of the things that you can do to release the lower back muscles when they are spasming.  I doubt that you can find this information anywhere on the internet because the acu-point I am going to write about is not a traditional point on the acupuncture charts.  It is a Japanese Style Acu-point.  The charts on the internet do not include them.

HUKAYA'S LU 10

This acu-point is a special location of LU 10 and is also referred to as Master Hukaya's Impotence Point.  At first Hukaya called this point an impotence point since it successfully treated patients suffering from impotence problems but the point also was reported to improve lower back pain, specifically in the quadratus lumborm (see illustration below).

In Japan these muscles are called the "kidney muscles" as they are located by the kidneys.  Here is a great paragraph on back pain from wikipedia

The quadratus lumborum, or QL, is a common source of lower back pain.  Because the QL connects the pelvis to the spine and is therefore capable of extending the lower back when contracting bilaterally, the two QLs pick up the slack, as it were, when the lower fibers of the erector spinae are weak or inhibited (as they often are in the case of habitual seated computer use and/or the use of a lower back support in a chair). Given their comparable mechanical disadvantage, constant contraction while seated can overuse the QLs, resulting in muscle fatigue. A constantly contracted QL, like any other muscle, will experience decreased blood flow, and, in time, adhesions in the muscle and fascia may develop, the end point of which is muscle spasm.

Now let's get back to Japanese LU 10, its location and how to use it on yourself to help relieve the spasm.  The acu-point is located on the palm side of the hand on the thenar eminence (see the illustration).  Remember if you look on an acupuncture chart this location will be different.  If you are familiar with acu-points this point is located directly on the opposite side of LI 4.

Pressure pain on LU 10 is an indication of immunity problems presenting in the lungs and lung related organs such as the skin, nose, sinuses, throat, bronchi,, tonsils, etc.  You can massage this point to boost the overall lung energy.  For lower back spasms it is best that you massage this point at least one minute while you are seated.  If you have a chronic problem with your lower back it is recommended to massage Hukaya's LU 10 several times a day.

Well there it is, something so simple, easy to reach but not so well known.  I hope this information helps you and the ones you love.  Be Happy - Be Healthy - Be Best!

NOTE:  I am in South America until May but am able to answer your emails and SKYPE calls.  For more information visit the website.  Saluti!

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