BOOK REVIEW ©1996 Insight Publishing 

Title: Low Back Pain:
Care & Prevention with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Author: Douglas Frank
Publisher: Blue Poppy Press
Format: 112 pages, soft cover
Price: US$9.95
Reviewer: Dr. Mark J. Langweiler

Interest in "alternative" healthcare practices has risen dramatically over the last 20 years, with the most rapid growth occurring during the past decade. And, what had been recently considered highly unorthodox by medical doctors and patients alike, is now mainstream.

At the forefront of this change is acupuncture and acupuncture-related techniques of Oriental medicine. While the interest in acupuncture is high, there still exists many myths and misconceptions regarding its uses and usefulness. Mr. Douglas Frank, a board certified acupuncturist, provides a needed, if rather brief, overview of traditional Oriental medicine.

Chapter 3, Basic Concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, offers a clear description of Yin/Yang, qi, essence, and the Chinese concept of Blood. This is followed by examination of organs from the Chinese perspective. Unlike their Western counterparts, doctors of Chinese medicine, when discussing an organ, are, in actuality, referring to an interlocking system that encompasses not only the organ, but related "correspondences." For instance, to get a complete picture of the patient's problem when examining the kidney, the doctor of Chinese medicine must also look at the bones and head hair, hearing, the patient's fear, and their will power. This, in a simplified manner, represents a system that includes physical, psychological, and emotional aspects that give doctors of Chinese medicine their legitimate claim to taking a holistic approach to health.

Following this explanation of traditional Chinese medical thought, Mr. Frank presents a variety of possible causes of low back pain. Many are certainly familiar to those of us in the West: trauma, overuse, degeneration due to aging, etc. He also describes some causes that seem quite foreign to those brought up on Western concepts of medicine. For example, wind is an unseen pathology that is responsible for joint pain that travels around the body much like the winds blowing around the earth. This problem acts to block qi and presents itself as an aching pain. Cold, on the other hand, causes pain that is fixed in location and quite sharp in character.

Once a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine understands the specific description of pain and its relationship to the various causes, by using diagnostic techniques such as tongue and pulse diagnosis, as well as general observation and palpation, a diagnosis can be made that encompasses the entire person; body, mind, and spirit. Mr. Frank offers several case histories that nicely illustrate his approach and methodology using traditional Chinese medical techniques. I found these case histories to be the most interesting, as well as the most illuminating, portion of the text. Mr. Frank presents cases that enable even the most novice of lay people to follow the reasoning behind his diagnoses.

The chapter, "Helpful Hints and Self-Care for the Low Back," unfortunately, does not really offer anything new. Discussions on relaxation, proper lifting, and the importance of maintaining abdominal strength have been presented many times before. While a useful reminder, no revelations are to be found here.

The chapters on Western concepts of back pain are, in this reviewer's opinion, the weakest in the book. Obviously, this should not come as a surprise since this is not Mr. Frank's area of expertise. One example is found in his statement concerning the percentage of people with no specific back pain diagnosis as being 85%. With the advent of more refined imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, along with an increased understanding of the pain-causing anatomy, a nonspecific diagnosis is much less common than Mr. Frank states. And, generally, the medical community is broadening its concepts of appropriate care (the fact that Mr. Frank has worked in spinal rehabilitation with medical doctors is evidence of these changes).

The final chapter discusses ways of finding a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Mr. Frank strongly suggests seeking someone who has been certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists. Definitely a valuable suggestion. However, finding a practitioner so certified outside of a large city would be a near miracle.

If you are looking for a quick and easily comprehensible book on traditional Chinese medical treatment, Low Back Pain: Care & Prevention with Traditional Chinese Medicine is worth the investment of your time and money. On the other hand, if you are seeking a more comprehensive examination of low back pain, its causes, and treatment, you would be better off looking elsewhere.

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