Throughout its history Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of both internal and musculoskeletal conditions; In the U.S. it has been the reported Effectiveness in the Control of Pain that has been acupuncture’s most attractive offering, leading to vast research into the benefits of this ancient Medical Art. The primary reason? Acupuncture promotes BLOOD FLOW – to the nerves, tissues, tendons, muscle groups, and joint spaces – Allowing increased blood flow to any areas allows pain such as heaviness, numbness, burning, aching, tingling, tightness and tension to subside; there are no tissues or joints or body regions that will not perform optimally with increased blood flow. Pain is not a nerve issue unless a nerve is being crushed, cut, or pinched/impinged – and Pain is not always due to inflammation; Pain is, however always due to some degree of less than 100% blood flow …. Acupuncture is not anesthesia, it is circulation; It has always been about improving Circulation.
The U.S. pain population is comprised of over one-quarter of the total U.S. adult population at any given time and the most common medical therapy for prevalent pain conditions is pharmacological, ambulatory, self-management. Since early research in the 1970s significant progress has been made in understanding acupuncture’s influence on the body’s natural opiate systems (i.e. endorphins) as well as in mapping out its analgesic mechanisms and effects.
Acupuncture is fast becoming employed as ‘the’ health care option by patients and Doctors alike in the effective management of pain and pain syndromes; acupuncture has demonstrated positive results in both clinical experience and research worldwide; LIV acupuncture offers the best in this most promising, natural therapy.
As Western Medicine try to understand Acupuncture; some MDs are offering a decent modal of what they see is being accomplished by its application:
A Biomedical Explanation
“The main benefits of Acupuncture can be summarized as follows:”
Normalization of Autonomic Nervous Dysfunction
Control of Pain
Anti-inflammation
Control of Addictions
Regeneration
-Dr. J. Wong MD, Ph.D.
Despite Western Medicine’s rapid advances in many areas Doctors and Patients are still looking for effective treatment of pain without the deleterious side effects of pharmaceuticals: Acupuncture involves a physical, invasive stimulus that generates an impulse to the nervous system upon insertion. The Pathway of the impulse produced by the needle-stimulus most likely involves the following → Peripheral Nerves, Spinal Nerves, Spinal Cord, Mid-brain, Hypothalamus, Thalamus, Cerebral Cortex In these Nervous system structures biochemical influences occur involving hormones and neurotransmitters (Known as ‘Qi’ & ‘Substances’ in Chinese Medicine) influencing pain transmission.
Acute Pain
Acupuncture generates the following changes in Inflammation by improving Circulation:
- Subsidence of swelling and bruising
- Normalization of local temperature to injured tissues
- Relief of pain, restored flexibility, increased ROM
- Restoration of normal functioning
- Injury
- Pre or Post-operative
- Analgesia
Chronic Pain
Pain remains the most common reason for a visit to a physician in the U.S with a total cost of over $100 Billion annually; Chronic pain (pain for a period of more than 6-8 weeks) can be debilitating and is the leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Persistent pain or ‘chronic pain syndrome’ has documented economic, social, and psychological implications; Chronic pain commonly brings issues with sleep, stress, diet, weight, mood, and addictions; Acupuncture tailored to your particular pain experience will aim to improve treatment outcomes and improve your quality of life:
Acupuncture aims to
1. Control or Eliminate the pain
2. Help the body cope with the pain
It is commonly known that Acupuncture promotes regeneration and healing: EMG studies have shown an enhanced recovery from traumatic peripheral nerve injury even when muscles are partially denervated. As far back as the1970s physicians used the electrical stimulus to regenerate bone; physical stimulus + the meridian stimulus + electric field in concert promote regeneration and healing.
Acupuncture aims to facilitate the patient’s own pain-relief mechanism through the Peripheral and Central nervous systems: breaking the vicious cycle of prescription pain medication overuse + side-effects acts to improve the patient’s overall well-being.
Good pain management is very responsive to the Holistic Approach; Acupuncture is also useful in the control of depression, fatigue, constipation, impotence/loss of libido, sleep or mood disorders, and addictions.
Acupuncture has been found to be effective for both pathological and physiological pain while TCM’s holistic diagnostic approach is superior in meeting the individual needs of the patient dealing with chronic pain.