Acupuncture and pain
Acute pain is sudden and is usually relatively short in duration.
Chronic pain, which may be the result of a specific condition, may not diminish with conventional therapies and does not go away with the passage of time.
Whether acute or chronic, pain is a warning sign telling you something is wrong.
Sometimes people with chronic pain try to ignore it and believe that suffering is just an unfortunate part of life. But pain on a regular basis is exhausting and can sap the joy out life. You don’t have to suffer!
Pharmaceutical Drugs
Many people use drugs to treat their pain. Conventional drug treatment for pain often includes anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.) or steroid injections. While these drugs offer temporary relief, they have potential side effects. Heavy use can result in stomach ulcers, bleeding, liver failure, bone loss, or adrenal burnout.
Unlike the many drugs used for pain management, there are no inherent side effects with acupuncture.
How does Acupuncture relieve pain?
When a person feels pain it travels along nerve pathways to the brain.
Acupuncture needles generate competing stimulation that overloads the nerve pathways and prevents pain signals from reaching the brain. If the acupuncture is performed often enough, it can change the pattern of pain.
It is now widely recognized that Acupuncture starts the flow of pain-relieving endorphins and immune system cells to specific sites in the body that are injured or vulnerable to disease
Neurotransmitter levels such as Serotonin and Noradrenalin are affected by Acupuncture. This is why it is so successful with depression and mood disorders. The euphoric feeling that many patients feel after an Acupuncture treatment is evidence of this.
Acupuncture recognized as effective for pain
Both the World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health recognize the benefits of acupuncture in treating pain due to a wide range of causes. Stress-related disorders, pain management, and chronic disease are three of acupuncture’s specialties.