A fundamental pillar of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture Therapy uses precisely placed needles along meridian pathways to produce therapeutic physiological responses in the body that can alleviate pain, promote healing, balance hormones, boost the immune system, regulate the nervous system, improve fertility, and provide overall emotional wellness. Acupuncture can be effective on its own or as a complementary treatment to conventional medicine.
How Traditional Chinese Acupuncture Can Treat Pain
When you’ve tried everything from yoga moves to muscle relaxants, yet still can’t find satisfactory relief from your back pain, acupuncture may be the answer.
Basic Methodology
The ancient Chinese tradition uses non-clinical terminology for the acupuncture method, but in general the practice is believed to work by stimulating the nervous system to produce a series of healing chemicals. Long, thin needles are inserted into various “acupoints” on the back and other body parts, depending on the ailment and the practitioner’s own methodology.
The sessions often take about one hour and most people don’t experience pain. The number of recommended visits varies depending on the complexity of the problem, but some people report significant relief after a single session.
Targeting the source
Your acupuncturist will likely choose to insert needles into acupoints at the site of your actual site of pain, but may also choose “distal” acupoints. Distal points are believed to open up specific pathways that work in conjunction with the pathways opened at the local acupoints.
For example, a study for treating back pain used a method in which eight needles were inserted directly into part of the back where the problem was felt. But distal points were also selected — one on each elbow, and one each at the knee, calf and ankle locations. Clients in the study reported significant pain reduction after several sessions.
Working With Your Acupuncturist
Choosing a specialist based on a trusted recommendation, and remaining open to the process, is the right path to enabling acupuncture to work its healing powers. Book your appointment at For Health’s Sake in Queen Street West today!
SOME CONDITIONS COMMONLY TREATED:
Allergies, Sinus Conditions, Digestive Disorders, Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression, Women: Fertility & Hormones, Chronic Pain, Nausea, Headaches/Migraines, etc.