Chronic Low Back Pain

The recovery period for chronic lower back pain varies significantly depending on the duration of pain, occupational load, muscle condition, and psychological factors. Generally, if a significant reduction in pain intensity is observed within 4 to 6 weeks based on treatment 1 to 2 times a week, the prognosis is considered good. Afterward, combining exercise to restore weakened deep stabilizing muscles becomes the key to preventing recurrence. For occupations involving repetitive bending and lifting movements, such as delivery services, the risk of recurrence is high if lifting posture correction is not combined with treatment. In Korean medicine, it is believed that chronic illnesses penetrate deep into the blood vessels; therefore, five-year-old lower back pain is viewed as a condition where blood stasis (stasis lumbago), having passed the Qi stagnation stage, overlaps with lower back pain caused by kidney deficiency (kidney deficiency lumbago) resulting from the depletion of kidney energy due to overwork. Since the hardened must be released and the emptied must be replenished, treatment follows a two-pronged approach. Dongjedang focuses on releasing blood stasis in adhered fascia and blood vessels using needles and moxibustion during the initial 2 to 4 weeks. Depending on the patient's response, the process then moves on to stages where ligament regeneration is promoted using fire acupuncture and thread embedding, or remaining inflammation is cleared using bee venom and pharmacopuncture. For internal treatment, we combine constitution-tailored herbal medicine that clears blood stasis and nourishes kidney energy; the standard of recovery is not merely pain-free status, but building a back strong enough to withstand lifting hundreds of boxes a day.