Chronic Low Back Pain

Exposure to cold increases muscle tension and constricts peripheral blood vessels, reducing blood flow and oxygen supply to the painful area. When blood flow decreases, pain-inducing substances cannot be flushed out, amplifying the pain. Additionally, reports indicate that when atmospheric pressure drops, the pressure balance between the joint capsule and surrounding tissues changes, causing sensitized pain receptors to become more easily activated; weather sensitivity is actually commonly observed in patients with chronic pain. During the winter and transitional seasons, keeping the lower back warm, indoor stretching, and warm baths are helpful. Perspective of a Korean Medicine Clinic Korean medicine diagnoses this type of lower back pain as "cold-dampness lumbago," caused by wind, cold, and dampness invading the meridians. When cold and damp energy seeps along the lumbar meridians and causes stagnation of Qi and blood, a typical pattern emerges where pain recurs whenever the weather is cold and humid. However, for those in their 60s who have endured 30 years of labor, the underlying cause is often a deficiency of kidney Yang energy—specifically, kidney deficiency where the warm energy responsible for warming the body and protecting the lower back has weakened. Dongjedang uses fire acupuncture combined with thermal stimulation to disperse cold energy and promote the regeneration of hardened tissues, while using needle acupuncture to loosen severe adhesions. Internally, the treatment goal is to create a physical condition that is not swayed by the weather, utilizing constitution-tailored herbal medicine that boosts the warm energy of the kidneys and expels cold and damp energy.