Pain Relief With Acupuncture

More than one-quarter of U.S. adults are experiencing some sort of pain lasting more than one day.

According to a 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 5 million Americans had used acupuncture in the past year. An analysis from an earlier NHIS found that pain accounted for 7 of the top 10 conditions for which people use acupuncture.A 1998 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, for example, showed that medical doctors refer their patients to acupuncturists more than any other "alternative" care provider;¹ the same study also revealed that 51% of medical doctors believe acupuncture to be efficacious and of value.Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system. It may be sharp or dull, off-and-on or steady, localized (such as back pain) or all over (such as muscle aches from the flu). Pain alerts us to injuries and illnesses that need attention. Although pain usually goes away once the underlying problem is addressed, it can be lasting. Chronic pain may be due to functional aspects of the body which are compromised requiring the body to be detoxified and immunity/vitality restored. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) excels at promoting/improving health and preventative medicine while Western medicine is used for trauma/acute care. TCM is also used for acute care where emergency room treatment is not required.

Key Points

People use acupuncture for various types of pain. Back pain is the most common, followed by joint pain, neck pain, and headache. Acupuncture may be combined with massage and herbal medicine to achieve a better outcome.
Acupuncture is considered safe when performed by an experienced practitioner and pain relief may be lasting. There are less adverse effects associated with acupuncture than with most drug treatments (anti-inflammatory medications, NSAIDs, steroids & narcotics) used for pain. The risk of serious events associated with acupuncture treatments low; estimated at 0.5 per 10,000 treatments

Common Painful Conditions Treatable with Acupuncture

Low-back pain Back pain affects 65-80% of the population. . People with chronic neck and back pain often do not respond to or develop side effects from conventional treatments such as injections, medications, physical therapy, manipulation and surgery.
Neck pain - Studies of acupuncture for chronic neck pain have found that acupuncture provided better pain relief than many other treatments
Joint pain - including shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, knee, ankle and foot
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Tendonitis
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Headache/migraine/chronic tension HA - Although many new pharmaceutical agents have been developed to treat headaches, substantial numbers of patients continue to have pain, despite medications
Menstrual cramps – TCM is the best way to regulate the menstrual cycle
Fibromyalgia – chronic disease requires a holistic treatment approach such as TCM
Myofascial pain – trigger points
Postoperative dental pain -, literature reviews in the past have identified acupuncture as a promising treatment for dental pain—especially pain following tooth extraction
Pregnancy related pain
Temporomandibular joint pain
Cancer and cancer treatment related pain
Post stroke/paralysis and numbness – best results if treated as soon as possible
Phantom limb pain
Irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and Crone’s disease
Pain of unknown origin – TCM perspective sheds new light on vague conditions. Often laboratory results aren’t abnormal yet but a person does not feel well.

Use of Acupuncture for Pain

According acupuncture theory, blockages in the flow of Qi (vital energy), disrupt well-being and lead to illness. By stimulating acupuncture points, practitioners clear up blockages and restore health and vitality. Acupuncture has been shown to have measurable physiologic effects that may explain the biomechanism of pain relief. With acupuncture increases in bloodflow occur. Nerve stimulation sends messages to the spinal cord, brain stem and hypothalamus. These stimulate the release of endogenous opioids such as beta- endorphins, met-enkepalins, and dynorphin. In addition neurotransmitters and neuropeptides such as serotonin and melatonin are released causing relaxation. Enhanced immune function also occurs. Patients with asthma who receive acupuncture have increased CD3+ and CD4+ cells and decreased IL-6 andIl 10 and eosinophils after acupuncture treatment. There also may be inhibition of the nociceptive pathways involved in pain processing. Recent studies using functional MRI have demonstrated that acupuncture has quantifiable effects on the central nervous system. Specialized forms of acupuncture have been developed for the ears, hands and scalp. Approaches based on the knowledge ofneuroanatomy, physiology and trigger points have been added. Acupuncture has been used in virtually any medical condition, but most Americans go to acupuncturists for pain control.

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