Acupuncture and Pain Management
Most people experience significant pain at some time in their lives- whether from injury, illness, or an unknown cause. Pain is a warning signal, an alarm that goes off when your body is trying to tell you that something is wrong and out of balance.
Often, people suffering from pain try to cover it up, either by ignoring the pain or taking medication. However, treated in this way, the source of the pain will never completely go away.
What can you do?
One choice is to take medication that dulls the pain for a short period of time. Taking medication is understandable when pain is constant and unbearable. It may be helpful to dull the symptoms, but it won't get to the root of the problem and correct it. It's also possible that some medications may cause unwanted side effects and further compromise your health.
Surgery may be another option. At times, this approach may make sense, but it could be both expensive and risky, and there is no guarantee that it will be effective.
Acupuncture is a time-tested, safe, effective, natural, and drug-free way to eliminate pain. Unlike other methods for handling pain, there are no side effects. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) acknowledge the benefits of acupuncture in treating and eliminating pain due to a wide range of causes.
An acupuncturist's approach to pain.
Acupuncture practitioners recognize that there is a vital energy, called Qi (chee), circulating within the body. Qi flows through a series of pathways called meridians. Meridians transport life-giving Qi that provides nourishment to every cell, tissue, muscle, organ, and gland in the body. It is important for Qi to flow freely throughout the body. A blockage in the flow of Qi anywhere in the body will inhibit the amount of nourishment that reaches our cells, muscles, tissues, organs, and glands.
Many things can cause Qi to become blocked:
- Poor diet
- Physical trauma
- Emotional trauma
- Inherited weakness of Qi
- Chemical, physical, and/or emotional stress
What does acupuncture do?
By inserting fine, sterile needles at specific points, an acupuncturist is able to break up blockages that have hampered the smooth flow of Qi. Once this is done, Qi can travel freely throughout the body, promoting pain-free health, well-being, and vitality.
Not only can acupuncture treat signs and symptoms of pain and discomfort, it can also get to the root of the problem. When the initial cause of the pain is corrected, your body can begin to heal on deeper levels.
