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Acupuncture Chronic Pain - The BasicsAcupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating very fine needles into "acupuncture points" on the body. Acupuncture has a long history in Eastern Medicine for treatment of various diseases and of course, chronic pain. Acupuncture for chronic pain is often done in conjuction with other treatments, such as cupping. In cupping, instead of using needles to stimulate the acupuncture points, suction is applied through a metal, wood or glass jar in which a partial vacuum has been created. This stimulates the pressure site by producing increased blood congestion.
How Does Acupuncture for Chronic Pain Work? Well, it depends on who you ask. The traditional eastern medicine answer will be phrased in terms of our Universal Life Energy, also known as Chi or Qi. This energy is supposed to flow freely through the body to keep us healthy, but can be blocked, resulting in disruption in the way the body works. The result - symptoms, including chronic pain. The Western Medicine answer for how acupuncture works is still probably best phrased as "I don't know," although considerable attention is being turned toward research to determine how it works and what it's effective for. So far, it appears there is pretty good indication that acupuncture can help a lot of people with chronic low back pain, neck pain, and headaches. There is some research that shows that acupuncture stimulation does have an effect on brain function, which as we know, has a lot to do with our perception of pain. Acupuncture to Treat Back Pain - New StudyYou hear a lot about using acupuncture to treat pain, but not too many people have tried it. A lot of you may wonder Does it really work? There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that it does, but a recently completed study of 1100 people in Germany provides more evidence.In this recently reported study, almost half of the patients reported pain relief, often lasting for months, Patients also reported improvements in the disability that often accompanies chronic pain. Good News! On a less happy but not surprising note, this same study showed that medication and other more traditional "Western" treatment methods were significantly less effective, with only 27% of patients reporting relief. This continues the trend of supporting alternative treatments of pain, and will hopefully put some additional pressure on health insurance companies to provide coverage. A Caution Regarding AcupunctureA lot of healthcare professions are jumping on the acupuncture bandwagon.Be careful to select practitioners that have adequate training. As always, do your homework and ask for referrals from others who can vouch for having a good result.
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