By Jessica Guerra, L. Ac, AP
While acupuncture can be used to treat virtually any health condition, by far the most commonly thought of medical issue for acupuncture is pain. And with good reason. Acupuncture is safe, natural, and has virtually no side effects. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated acupuncture to provide effective and lasting pain relief for lower back pain, knee pain, acute sprains, herniated disks, and even nerve damage. Acupuncture has also been shown to moderate fibromyalgia symptoms in many patients. The World Health Organization officially recognizes acupuncture as an effective medical modality for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. And many insurance companies will now cover acupuncture when used to treat pain conditions.
There is a major difference between the methodology of pain relief of Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Most Western pain management is about masking or hiding the pain, and very little is done to actually treat the cause of the pain. This is especially true in chronic pain conditions. A combination of steroid shots and painkillers is often the prescription for many patients with chronic pain. Steroid shots can lead to unwanted weight gain and often become ineffective after several administrations. Pain pills can damage the internal organs, can lead to addiction, and do absolutely nothing to address the cause of the pain in the first place. In our view using painkillers to treat chronic pain is like treating a broken water pipe by putting a bucket under it to collect the water, rather than fixing the actual leak itself.
TCM is different because we not only address the pain itself but we seek to heal the root cause of the pain. The goal for most types of chronic pain is not pain management but pain relief. That is to say we are looking to heal the body so the pain is gone and there is no residual need for pain management. Unfortunately there are certain conditions where acupuncture cannot entirely get rid of the pain. However even in those cases acupuncture can help to reduce the intensity and frequency of the pain and is a safe and natural alternative to drug therapy.
The exact mechanism, in Western terms, by which acupuncture relieves pain is still unknown though some research has shown acupuncture can block the nerve transmission of pain in affected areas. From TCM theory pain is caused by blockage of the free flow of the bodies functional energy pathways, known as channels or meridians. The blockage can be caused by many different things including trauma (both physical and emotional), stress, disease, and poor diet and lifestyle choices. Acupuncture is so effective because it can quickly remove blockages and it promotes the body heal itself so that the blockage does not return in the future.
Acupuncture is not a miracle cure for pain or any other condition. Except for some cases of acute pain a single acupuncture session is not enough to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and thus remove the cause of the pain. Many acute pain cases can be resolved within 5 acupuncture sessions. For chronic pain there are several factors that determine how often one needs an acupuncture treatment. These include age, physical condition, diet and lifestyle, and other medical conditions that may be present. Generally speaking chronic pain conditions will require acupuncture treatments 2-3 times a week for the first few weeks. As each patient is different the timeline of progression for pain relief is also different.
Jessica Guerra , L. Ac, AP
Jessica Guerra is a licensed acupuncture physician. She is licensed by the state of Florida and recognized by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She earned a master’s degree in oriental medicine and a bachelor’s degree in professional health sciences at East West College of Natural Medicine. Driven by her passion for Chinese medicine, she completed an internship in Huangzhou, China in 2012. Jessica has additional certifications in Acupuncture Point Injection therapy and Cosmetic Acupuncture.
Center for Acupuncture & Holistic Healing
4456 Tamiami Trail unit B-16
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
941-626-1992
www.acupunctureholistichealing.com