| Acupuncture
& Pain
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. It’s
like hitting the snooze button on an alarm. Unless the cause of the
pain is treated, your body will keep sounding the alarm and reminding
you that something is wrong. Eventually, the pain may get worse or become
chronic.
What can you do?
No one should have to live with pain. But what treatment is
right for you?
One approach is to get plenty of bed rest in hopes that
the pain will just disappear. This may help for a while, but could possibly
delay recovery and make the problem worse.
Another choice is to take medication that dulls the
pain for a short period of time. This is understandable when pain is
constant and unbearable. It may be helpful, but it won’t get at
the root of the problem and correct it. Also, many 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 acupuncturists approach to pain.
Acupuncture practitioners recognize that there is a
vital life energy, called Qi (pronounced “chee”), circulating
within the body. Qi flows through a series of pathways called meridians.
Meridians are like rivers within your body. Wherever a river flows,
it brings with it water that provides nourishment and life to the land,
plants and people around it. Likewise, 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. Think of water flowing through a garden hose. A blocked hose will
not provide an adequate supply of water to a plant. Eventually, the
plant will be unable to thrive, grow and blossom.
Similarly, a blockage in the flow of Qi anywhere in
the body will inhibit the amount of nourishment that reaches our cells,
tissues, muscles, organs and glands.
Under normal circumstances, your body can easily return
to good health and vitality. But if the disruption of Qi is prolonged
or excessive, or if your body is in a weakened state, the flow of Qi
becomes restricted and a variety of symptoms— including pain—
may arise.
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.
Your acupuncturist may also suggest adjunct therapies
to enhance treatment and speed healing. Massage, stretching, yoga, herbal
supplements and dietary changes support acupuncture care.
Many things can cause Qi to become blocked:
- Poor diet
- Physical trauma
- Emotional trauma
- Inherited weakness of Qi
- Chemical, physical, and or emotional stress
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