Acupuncture has been traditionally used in Asia for centuries to help manage many conditions, especially for pain management. In recent times, acupuncture hasbeen increasingly popular in Western countries for providing pain relief and management.
Whatis Pain?
Pain is an unpleasant feeling or sensations within the human body. It is normally associated with potential tissue damage or can be due to other causes such as inflammation, functional or neuropathic issues. Pain itself is not a disease but rather a symptom and an indication that a problem has occurred within the body. Normally, the location of the pain gives a good indication of where the issue is within the body, for example, knee pain caused by inflammation of the cartilage in the knee joint; however, pain or discomfort feel in a location away from the issues can also happen, this is known as referred pain. Such as arm pain caused by a prolapsed disc impinging on a nerve in the cervical (neck) region of the spine.
Types of Pain
Nociceptive Pain ( Tissue Injury)
Externaltrauma, Post-surgical Pain
Inflammatory Pain
Rheumatoidarthritis, Gout, Tendonitis
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathy,Trigeminal Neuralgia
Functional Pain
Fibromyalgia
Pain can be considered to be acute or chronic. Acute pain generally developsstraight after tissue trauma or surgery. Once the affect tissues have recovered the associate pain will also tend to reduce and goes away. However, if the pain last longer than the normal recovery time can lead to the development ofchronic pain. Chronic pain can also be defined as pain lasting more than 6 months after the initial tissue injury.
Pain Management - Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
According to Chinese Medicine, the human body consists of invisible channels known asmeridians. Meridians are pathways where life energy or known as “Qi” flows throughout the human body. In general, under normal circumstances, there will be abundant Qi flowing through these meridians however if these meridians become block by pathogens and Qi become stagnated, will result in pain and illnesses.
How does Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine work?
Acupuncture normally involves the insertion of a single-use sterile needle to a specificpart of the body in which we call acupuncture points. By inserting these needles to these acupuncture points, it helps release the stagnation within the meridian and re-establishes the free flow of Qi, thus able to alleviate the pain. Chinese Herbal Medicine has a similar concept to acupuncture but apart from using acupuncture needles, herbal medicine is used instead to help “detox” the Meridians.
Both Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine treatments take a holistic approachwhen treating any types of pain conditions. These treatments aim to treat the cause of pain to alleviate the symptoms rather than just treating the symptoms themselves. By taking a holistic approach, it will result in improving the overall health of the body and help encourage the stimulation of the body natural healing system. Acupuncture also enhances blood circulation to the affected area, reduce inflammation and increase the release of endorphins (a natural pain killer) within the human body.
Acupuncturehas shown to be a very effective modality for pain management and is widely accepted in both eastern and western medicine practices. Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine treatments also produce less or close to no side effects when compare to standard chemical treatments.
Types of pain conditions Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can be beneficial too:
· Upper and LowerBack Pain
· Neck and ShoulderPain
· Knee Pain/ Weakness
· Neck and ShoulderPain/ Stiffness
· Tension andMigraine Headache
· Carpal TunnelSyndrome
· Tennis/Golfer’selbow
· Sciatica/ Hip Pain
· Ankle / Heel andFoot Pain
· Plantar Fasciitis
· General MuscularPain and Tightness
· Arthritis
· Fibromyalgia
· Menstrual cramps