Using Acupuncture for Pain Relief
- Posted on: Jan 31 2020
Are you tired of hurting? Many people who are in pain, whether it’s temporary or chronic, find that it takes a significant toll on their lives. Few people want to take medication for pain every day or go through surgery, though, but what other options are there? For some types of pain, acupuncture is an ideal non-surgical option. Many people know that acupuncture involves sticking needles into the skin, but that’s all they know. Acupuncture is much more than that.
How Does it Work?
Acupuncture does use very thin needles, but they’re not randomly stuck in your body. Instead, they’re very carefully placed in specific areas. No one is exactly sure how this helps relieve pain—many studies have been done, but the scientific reason that acupuncture works is still unknown. Some people suggest it may affect the body’s neurological system in some way. Others claim it balances the energy of the body.
Regardless, it does work. People who have suffered from chronic pain such as headaches and back pain for years have found that acupuncture reduces or completely eliminates their aches.
What Types of Pain Can be Treated?
Acupuncture has been shown to help with neck, back, and knee pain in addition to migraines and headaches. However, the list of conditions that may be helped with acupuncture is actually much longer. The World Health Organization compiled a list in 2003 that includes high/low blood pressure, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, and allergic rhinitis. It can even help reduce the side-effects of chemotherapy and dental pain.
There are a number of other things that acupuncture may help with, although further study is needed in these areas. This includes fibromyalgia, vascular dementia, pertussis, and neuralgia.
Is It Painful?
One reason many people don’t want to have acupuncture done is that they believe it hurts. The idea of having needles stuck in them sounds worse than the actual pain they’re experiencing. However, when acupuncture is performed correctly by a certified acupuncturist, it’s completely safe and pain-free. At most, you may feel a tingling.
Want to learn more about acupuncture or get a referral to a trained acupuncture expert? Contact Dr. Jeff Mollins today.
Posted in: Back Pain Treatment, Blog, Injury Treatment, Neck Pain Treatment, Uncategorized, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation
