Pain & Inflammation

Helping with pain from all sources has been acupuncture’s crowning glory. More research has been done on acupuncture and its affect on the pain and inflammatory mechanisms than perhaps any other area. When people think of acupuncture, they typically think it’s only for pain. Although it is used for many other conditions, pain relief is almost a certainty.

Acupuncture works by various actions on the body. It stimulates the central nervous system to release various chemicals, such as neurotransmitters and hormones. These chemicals dull pain, reduce inflammation, stimulate the immune system to heal tissue and other actions. It also stimulates the pain-suppressing receptors in the tissues in the localized area of pain.

What is most important is not just managing pain. It is treating the person. If the pain is localized due to trauma or injury (such as a sports injury, auto accident injury or lifting injury), then we treat more locally. But if the pain is due to digestive issues, fibromyalgia, headache or other more systemic condition, we treat the underlying cause of the problem. The side effect (so to speak) is that the when the condition is healed, the symptom (pain) goes away too.

A good practitioner uses various methods of relieving the patients underlying condition that is causing the pain. This could include acupuncture, herbal medicine (such as anti-inflammatory herbs), and nutrition to provide the building blocks for tissue repair. They may also include exercises such as stretching, tai chi, or bodywork such as massage.

You don’t have to suffer.  Make an appointment today!