Dealing with Pain through Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the many natural treatments that people resort to for chronic pain. Acupuncture is an age-old healing practice of traditional Chinese medicine in which thin needles are placed at specific points in the body. This therapy is very popular in many countries, such as in the UK and US. In France for example, one in five has tried acupuncture.
It really is surprising how these very thin needles can promote wellness relief from many types of pain – from headache to migraine, low back pain, and joint pain. The list goes on. But how does acupuncture work? You may have asked this question so many times already. According to WebMD, acupuncture seeks to release the flow of the body’s vital energy or "chi" by stimulating points along 14 energy pathways. Scientists say the needles cause the body to release endorphins – the natural painkillers – and may boost blood flow and change brain activity. Some people believe acupuncture provides nothing but placebo effect. However, studies are beginning to demystify the science behind it. One idea is that acupuncture may be working via the gate control theory. This theory suggests that pain is transmitted through small nerve fibres from the skin through the spinal cord and on up to the brain. When a painful stimulus comes in, however, the activity in the small nerve fibres overwhelms the large ones, so inhibition is released and the gates of pain opened. In acupuncture, needles are placed in positions to stimulate the large nerve fibres, so that the small painful ones are inhibited. Another idea is that acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins, which have pain-reducing effect. Some studies suggest that this therapy has an effect to the stress response system (known as hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis).
Acupuncture for Various Types of Pain
Many people who suffer from low back pain who don’t get relief from standard treatments find relief from acupuncture. One large study found that both actual and "sham" acupuncture worked better than conventional treatments for back pain that had lasted more than three months. This natural treatment is also known to be effective in alleviating headache and migraine. Two large studies found that people receiving acupuncture had fewer days with tension headaches than those receiving conventional care. It is also a helpful addition to standard treatments for osteoarthritis, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in the US.
Meanwhile, studies that test whether acupuncture works for fibromyalgia have mixed results. A small study by Mayo Clinic found that it may help people deal with two aspects of fibromyalgia, which are fatigue and anxiety. Acupuncture seems to be effective as well in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Taiwanese researchers found that participants with carpal tunnel syndrome who received acupuncture for one month experienced more relief, for a longer time, than those who took medicines. Even dental pain can be addressed by acupuncture. Some studies show that even sham acupuncture can reduce tooth pain after a surgery or extraction.
Acupuncture is also used in cancer care, particularly in chemotherapy because it has the ability to lessen not just pain but also nausea and vomiting, which cancer patients experience during treatments.
Many people use this therapy to deal with other kinds of pain, such as neck and muscle pain, and menstrual cramps. Since it is natural, patients taking medications can undergo acupuncture. It is even more effective in alleviating pain when combined with other therapies, such as massage.
Have you tried acupuncture for pain issues? Was it a big help? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to post a comment below.
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