We don’t talk enough about sitting posture. Back pain is getting increasingly common, whether it’s thanks to hours of sitting at desks, or overexerting ourselves while exercising. Fortunately, there are ways of safeguarding the health of our backs. Well, you won’t have to bend over backwards to get some answers as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic Kin Teck Tong has literally got your back.
We had the opportunity of chatting with physician Queck Kwang Jie of Kin Teck Tong’s Kallang Wave Mall branch to find out how TCM can help with back pain. Read on to learn more!
According to Dr. Queck, there are two main causes of back pain — dynamic and static. The former happens when one accidentally injures his or her back doing physical tasks such as housework or pulling a muscle while exercising. The latter is induced by long hours of sitting, resulting in a stiff back. Knowing the cause for your back pain is key to getting the right treatment, and you can visit any of Kin Teck Tong’s branches for a thorough TCM consultation with the TCMPB (Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board)-certified Physicians..
You know what they say: Prevention is always better than cure and Dr Queck had some sage advice especially for those of us who are chained to our monitors for at least eight hours every day. Remaining in a sitting position for long periods of time might be more harmful than we think, and he recommends that we try to stand up and move around at the end of each hour. A bit of simple stretching before bed and as soon as you wake up can go a long way, and you can even do that in your living room or bedroom. If you have a minute, sit on your bed or chair with one leg outstretched to the side. Next, bend forward to reach your foot. To loosen your posterior chain, you can also do some “air cycling” while laying on your back. Your lower back and legs will thank you.
If you’ve been dealing with back pain for a while and haven’t found anything that works, perhaps you’d like to try TCM. It may be a step out of your comfort zone, if you’re used to western treatments in which practitioners typically prescribe painkillers and muscle relaxants for immediate pain relief, along with physiotherapy to regain movement in patients. TCM works differently, taking a holistic approach to curing its patients. At Kin Teck Tong, practitioners help patients promote self-healing within the body, with the aim of preventing the recurrence of ailments. This involves combining common TCM therapies such as tuina, acupuncture and cupping with modern devices that help patients with pain relief and to regain range of motion. In some cases, they also prescribe herbal concoctions to help with healing.
Ready to try TCM? Head over to their website for more information, or head down to their branch at Kallang Wave Mall #02-06 for a consultation.
