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Pain is one of the most common reasons that people seek acupuncture treatment. Pain can present itself in many different ways both physically and mentally. Acupuncture treatment can help to treat a variety of musculo-skeletal conditions that cause pain such as sports injuries, repetitive strain and rheumatological or degenerative disorders as well as chronic internal pain from illness or inflammation.
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Traditional Chinese medicine theory states that ‘when there is free flow, there is no pain’. We use acupuncture (as well as massage and moxa) to restore balance and create free flow in order to reduce pain, promote recovery and prevent the development of a chronic condition.
Chronic painful conditions, such as fibromyagia, can benefit from acupuncture treatment to reduce pain and to reduce the fatigue and anxiety associated with their condition. We always take a full case history to try and identify the root cause of pain so we can treat it fully rather than looking at each symptom in isolation. For example, a patient may seek treatment for pain associated with arthritis but also experience headaches, digestive discomfort and insomnia. We try to establish a link between all the symptoms to determine a root diagnosis, this allows us to focus of treating the whole person so although treatment is focused on relieving their pain, they should also notice improvements to their headaches, digestion and sleep.
Science suggests that acupuncture works by stimulating the release of natural steroids and endorphins that reduce pain and inflammation, promoting local blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and relaxing the muscles. From a traditional perspective, we look to restore the free-flow of qi to balance the body and support the body’s own constitution so that it is strong enough to maintain health. Post-operative pain is just one example of how pain may be ‘invisible’ from a western perspective, where a Doctor is aware of local damage and inflammation from surgery but can only recommend rest and pain/anti-inflammatory pain medication. From an Eastern perspective, pain like this is very obvious; we can see what channels have been damaged and restore the free flow of qi so the patient heals faster and without the likelihood of complication.
I believe there is always something we can offer to help relieve and hopefully resolve pain no matter how chronic or severe. The benefit of acupuncture is that it is not a drug; it can be used alongside most medication, it is non-invasive and will not create negative side-effects like drowsiness that some pain medication can create. There are different styles and techniques of acupuncture that mean we don’t even need to touch the area of pain in order to treat it; using Dr Tan’s Balance System we may put needles in your ankle to treat your wrist. Other techniques involve the stimulation motor or trigger points to relax or activate muscles, scalp or ear needling to activate the nervous system or traditional channel based treatments.
If you want to find out more about how Acupuncture can help you, please get in touch to discuss treatment options and appointment availability.
A number of commonly used drug treatments for chronic primary pain have little or no evidence that they work and shouldn’t be prescribed.
Acupuncture is recommended as an option for some people with chronic primary pain, provided it is delivered within certain, clearly defined parameters.
UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Draft guidelines published 03/08/2020
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