【Slipped Disc – Part 2｜How Acupuncture and Moxibustion Support Recovery】
- 田澤 大輔
- Sep 5, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
In my last blog post, I explained what I would like you to do and keep in mind when you experience a slipped disc.
In this article, I’ll discuss the next stage: how acupuncture and moxibustion can help in treatment and recovery.
The Role of Injured Muscles and Posture During Treatment
A slipped disc often causes severe pain and even fear.
When muscles are injured, they become inflamed, retain heat, and can cause intense discomfort.
Immediately after the injury, the pain often feels widespread, as if the entire lower back is affected.
This makes it difficult for the patient to identify the exact source of the pain.
For example, two deep muscles are commonly involved:
Quadratus lumborum – supports bending the trunk (lumbar spine) backward and sideways
Multifidus muscle – connects and stabilizes the spine from the neck to the waist
Both play an essential role in supporting the lower back.
Their function is not about lifting heavy weights, but rather about stabilizing the trunk during standing or sitting, and assisting with small, repetitive movements.
Since daily life is full of these micro-movements, problems in these muscles can significantly impact comfort and independence.
Finding the Right Position for Treatment
During treatment, it is important first to find a posture that eases tension and allows relaxation.
I often begin with the patient lying on their back, knees bent, before asking them to roll onto their stomach.
This is the ideal position, but if it is too difficult, treatment can also be performed while sitting.
The key is to stay as relaxed as possible and breathe slowly.
Whether lying or sitting, I guide the patient to a position that reduces muscle tension and minimizes pain.
Anxiety and fear during treatment can hinder recovery, so maintaining calmness is essential.
Applying the Right Amount of Stimulation
Treatment begins by addressing the quadratus lumborum and multifidus muscles, which are commonly affected by a slipped disc.
In addition, acupuncture and moxibustion are applied with gentle, moderate stimulation to related areas, such as:
Lower limb muscles (hamstrings, triceps surae)
Abdominal muscles (iliopsoas)
These areas often become excessively tense as they compensate for the injured back.
The important point here is that stimulation should be minimal - just enough to ease tension.
In acupuncture and moxibustion, even a small amount of stimulation can have a powerful effect.
Since the affected area is highly sensitive, I always proceed with care and a gentle touch.
Follow-Up: Treating Non-Affected (Minor) Areas
While the main focus is on the injured muscles, it is equally important to assess other areas of the body.
Patients may become aware of the center of their pain over time, but often remain unaware of hidden tension in other regions.
By addressing these secondary (minor) areas, acupuncture, moxibustion, and manipulative conditioning can help reduce overall muscle tension, promote relaxation, and support the body’s recovery.
Manipulative conditioning is especially useful for putting the body into a relaxed state, reducing inflammation, and aiding natural healing.
Depending on the patient’s condition, treatment of minor areas may require slightly stronger stimulation to release tight muscles and ligaments.
Why Both Major and Minor Areas Matter
In this post, I have outlined an example of how acupuncture and moxibustion can be applied to a slipped disc.
Each patient’s condition is unique — sometimes treatment of the secondary (minor) areas may even take priority over the main (major) site of pain.
In either case, treating both is essential for true recovery.
As a guideline, 3 to 5 treatment sessions are often necessary to see steady improvement.
If you are struggling with a slipped disc, unsure how to manage daily life due to pain, or worried about recurring flare-ups, please feel free to contact me.
I hope to be of help in your recovery journey.
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