AboutR. Scott Malone L.Ac. Expertise I can answer questions on Acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
I specialize in women's issues, mental-emotional issues and headache.
Experience I have been in practice for 10 years.
Organizations I am certified and state liscensed.
Education/Credentials Graduated from the T'ai Institute of Oriental Medicine with certificates in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.
Expert: R. Scott Malone L.Ac. Date: 6/27/2008 Subject: eastern vs western medicine/Pain
Question QUESTION: I have just recently started seeing a Chinese acupuncturist for pain. In May I had spinal fusion surgery in my neck and still have some pain from nerve impingement, but mostly I have terrible low back pain from bulging disks. My doctors have told me it is untreatable and have tried a variety of pain drugs, none of which have helped me much. My acupuncturist doesn't want me to take things like Advil or other pain drugs, but I'm reluctant to give up even the small amount of pain relief I'm getting from the drugs. How do I reconcile what my "Western" and "Eastern" experts are telling me to do? If I continue to take anti-inflammatory drugs am I canceling out the effect of the acupuncture? Western medicine is saying they can't help me much, but I have no prior experience with acupuncture and herbs to base any faith upon and I'm not sure what to do.
ANSWER: Hey Ronnie!
To me Western medicine shines at emergency care.
You are in pain, take whatever you need to find some relief while your acupuncturist does what he does.
Bulging discs are best treated in my opinion by a chiropractor.
Chiropractors have been treating this forever, with GREAT result.
He won't attempt to manipulate a fusion, so no worries there.
My guess is you will have great relief within 2 weeks of seeing a chiropractor.
This is a case of using a screwdriver for a screw and a hammer for a nail. Chiropractors specialize in the spine, MD's in acute emergency care, and acupuncture in health care, maintainence, and balance in the body. Use each tool as it is appropriate.
Your MD will tell you it's crap, and your acupuncturist sounds like a control freak and will probably tell you not to go as well, but in my opinion, a chiropractor will give you the most relief in the shortest amount of time.
You take whatever you need to give you some relief until you can get some more lasting relief, that's what drugs are for, they don't fix anything, but they sure make you feel better until you can get some help.
Manipulation from a chiropractor is going to be much more effective than acupuncture for bulging disc relief. The acupuncture will help with the pain, but chances are acupuncture will not ease the pressure on them.
Good luck to you friend,
R. Scott Malone L.Ac.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for your reply to my question. I just have to go one step further on this question. I have had multiple chiropractic sessions, with a chiropractor that I feel really good about, and did not get any relief from the pain. Do you think a combination of chiropractic care and acupuncture might work well?
ANSWER: Hey Ronnie,
I find acupuncture and chiropractic go very well together.
Is the doctor using an activator or manipulating you with their hands on the table?
What does your treatment consist of?
Scott
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Scott, I don't know what an activator is, so I'm assuming he is not using one. He uses tables that split in parts and move and he will position me on both my front side and my back side and do various origami like things to me. He pulls on my legs, pushes on my back in various places, adjusts my neck and shoulders (although since I just had neck surgery I don't think I'll be getting those adjustments for a while!).He does more than any other chirpractor I have ever gone to, checks more things, asks more questions. I was noticably "looser" after just 4 sessions with him, but never got any pain relief.
Answer Hmmm curiouser and curiouser,
It sounds like you have a good chiro. If I were in your shoes, I would stick with the chiro, have acupuncture, locally and for acute back pain I would use Bladder 40 behind the knees.
I would also look for a good massage therapist.
If you've been getting some relief, but not enough, try something else. If your practitioners say it will take a while to get you some relief, then it probably will. In the meantime, get a good massage therapist and see if that will get you the relief you need a little sooner. The chiro is likely to need some time to get the area stabilized, I think a good massage therapist can expedite this.
In our clinic we have all 3 and have no qualms about sending the patient to one another if we aren't getting the results we want fast enough. Between the chiro, myself and the massage therapist, there isn't much we can't take care of.
I would also take herbal medicine to increase the blood circulation and pull out any blood stagnation. Si Wu Tang is a great formula for this, I would perhaps add mo yao, ru xiang and yan hu so.
This is just a general formula for trauma, the formula your acupuncutist recommends might look different according to their diagnosis of what is going on with you.
Hope this helps, let me know how it turns out, you have an interesting case.
