Are you experiencing hip pain? While local hip issues are often the culprit of hip pains, hip pain can also originate from seemingly unrelated areas like the spine. In our previous blog post (https://bydacu.com/acupuncture-treatment-for-hip-pain/), we explored various causes of hip pain. In this blog, we’ll delve into a common source: lumbar facet joint pain and how acupuncture can be a powerful tool in its treatment.
What are Facet Joints?
Think of facet joints as tiny hinges at the back of your spine, connecting each vertebra. Like other joints, they have cartilage lining, synovial fluid lubrication, and a protective capsule. But just like any joint, they can age, get injured, and become painful.
Facet Joint Referred Pain
While irritated lumbar facet joints often cause low back pain right where they are, sometimes the pain plays hide-and-seek, showing up in seemingly unrelated areas like your hip, buttocks, thighs, or even groin. This sneaky trickster is called referred pain. It happens when the signals from the irritated facet joint get mixed up in the nervous system, leading you to feel pain elsewhere.
For more information on facet joint referred pain, please refer to the link below.
“Osteoarthritis of the spine: the facet joints”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23147891/
Here are some common regions where the lumbar facet joints can cause pain:
- Low back pain: The pain stays close to its source but not directly on the facet joint.
- Buttock pain: Facet joint issue is a frequent culprit for buttock pain, often felt on one side or the other.
- Thigh pain: The pain might radiate down the front, back, or side of your thigh.
- Groin pain: This can be confusing, as it’s far from the actual joint.
So yes, that hip pain you’re experiencing might be stemming from your lumbar facet joints!
Advantages of Acupuncture in Treating Hip Pain Originating from the Facet Joint
Acupuncture offers a range of benefits when treating facet joint issues. Let’s examine how acupuncture can help alleviate your discomfort and get you back to feeling your best.
1. Pinpointing Target Area
While pain relievers are valuable tools, they affect your entire body, potentially impacting areas beyond the pain source. Acupuncture needles, on the other hand, offer precise targeting, delivering relief directly to the affected facet joint and minimizing impact on other areas. Pain from facet joint issues can lead to reflexive muscle spasms in the multifidus muscle. In such cases, one or more needles are inserted to release these muscle spasms.
2. Minimum Side Effect
Acupuncture needles come in various types, but the ones you’ll encounter during treatment are incredibly thin, resembling a hair’s width. These thin needles minimize discomfort and potential injury. Even if you experience any side effects, they’re usually mild and short-lived, such as temporary soreness or a slight bruise that vanishes within hours. Plus, you’ll avoid the potential side effects that can commonly come with pain medication.
3. Empirically Proven Points
Over 2,000 years ago, a renowned physician named Hua Tuo identified specific acupuncture points, later called “Extraordinary Points of Hua Tuo’s Jia Ji,” which remarkably correspond to the location of facet joints and the multifidus muscles that cover these joints. These time-tested points have been used for millennia to address spine-related pain.
Start Your Journey with Beyond Acupuncture Now
Understanding the complex nature of hip pain is essential for effective treatment, with lumbar facet joint issues being a common source of this discomfort. Acupuncture is an excellent treatment, offering focused relief with few side effects. It targets the pain area directly, and its long history and holistic way of dealing with pain make it a viable option for tackling hip pain and related issues. If you’re dealing with hip pain, it’s a good idea to consider acupuncture as a way to help ease your pain and get to the bottom of what’s causing it.
DISCLAIMER – Link to the Whole Statement
While this blog offers helpful information, it’s not a substitute for medical advice. As individual’s health concerns are unique and require professional guidance, do not rely solely on online information for self-diagnosis or treatment. If you have health concerns, always consult a healthcare professional for personalized diagnosis and treatment.
