Acupuncture for Pain
Acupuncture is widely used to treat acute and chronic pain. It has spread from China to the United States because it offers a drug-free, extremely safe, and proven way (over thousands of years) to reduce and manage pain.
Below are a few resources and excerpts from some of the current research on acupuncture and pain.
Acute vs Chronic Pain
It is important to differentiate between acute and chronic pain since they represent different stages in the healing process. Acute pain occurs in the initial stages of healing and often has an identifiable cause. When pain persists for a longer period of time it becomes chronic and signals that something has gone wrong is the body’s natural healing process. It can represent an unresolved underlying issue that may seem unrelated to the initial cause of the pain.
A good source for more information about acupuncture and pain (and other conditions) is Evidence Based Acupuncture.
You can read more about the current research on acupuncture for pain at https://www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org/pain/
They give a great description of acute versus chronic pain:
Acute pain warns you that you have been hurt. It starts suddenly, and when the injury heals, the pain stops. In acute injury, the pain is due to pressure from inflammation in the tissues and nerves at the site of the injury. This inflammation leads to the swelling that is observable and is part of the body’s healing response.
Chronic pain continues after the injury has healed, lasting for weeks, months, even years. In chronic injury, nerve signals that were active during acute injury continue to send messages that the body is in pain. Although chronic pain is not completely understood, it is potentially due to nerves that have become damaged. New research also suggests that chronic pain can come from a malfunction in the way the brain ‘maps’ sensory information.
Effectiveness & Safety of Acupuncture
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH), also provides a good summary of research on acupuncture for pain.
You can read that article at https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction.
Their bottom line states that:
How much do we know about acupuncture?
There have been extensive studies conducted on acupuncture, especially for back and neck pain, osteoarthritis/knee pain, and headache. However, researchers are only beginning to understand whether acupuncture can be helpful for various health conditions.
What do we know about the effectiveness of acupuncture?
Research suggests that acupuncture can help manage certain pain conditions, but evidence about its value for other health issues is uncertain.
What do we know about the safety of acupuncture?
Acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced, well-trained practitioner using sterile needles. Improperly performed acupuncture can cause serious side effects.
Source: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction
How acupuncture works for pain
A recent Healthline article talks about how acupuncture is growing in popularity for pain relief and that it is now a recommended alternative to opioids for pain.
You can read that article at https://www.healthline.com/health-news/acupuncture-over-opioids-for-pain-relief.
It summarizes some of the different theories of how acupuncture works and provides links for further reading:
Western research has shown that acupuncture can be effective in managing pain. Exactly why it works is still unclear, though there are several theories.
The first written account of acupuncture, in “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine,” dates to 100 B.C. in China.
The theory behind the practice suggests the stimulation of specific spots prompts the body to release a flow of energy, or “qi,” which travels through “meridians.”
The Western explanation: The needle stimulates a nerve, which sends a signal to the brain to release beta-endorphins. These chemicals work as the body’s own opioids, lowering pain thresholds.
Another theory proposes acupuncture changes cells in connective tissue around the pressure points in lasting ways that lead to less pain.
There is also evidence, according to a 2016 study, that stimulating the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem to the colon, may lower inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation is closely tied to chronic pain.
Source: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/acupuncture-over-opioids-for-pain-relief
Find a board certified acupuncturist
It is important that acupuncture is performed by a licensed Acupuncturist with the proper training. To look up NCCAOM Board Certified acupuncturist and Oriental medicine practitioners please visit: https://www.nccaom.org/find-a-practitioner-directory/
Further questions
I am happy to answer any questions you may have and offer a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss how acupuncture can help you relieve your acute or chronic pain. Please book by clicking the button below:
