ACUPUNCTURE FOR PAIN
Acupuncture’s fame for treating pain only seems to be
increasing. With hardly any side effects and safe treatment methods, it’s not a
wonder that people are choosing a whole range of treatment options, including
but not limited to arthritis, head neck and shoulder, joint pains, lumbar,
fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint pains, and many more pain syndromes.
Traditionally, pain is reduced or reversed when the qi
(energy flow) is restored in the affected area with the central and peripheral
nervous system being addressed as well. Non-traditional methods such as
electro-acupuncture are also gaining importance when it comes to pain
management.
Growing evidence for pain management is seen in the
below areas:
Chronic
Lower back pain: One of the most sought after treatments in Acupuncture
is the musculoskeletal pain syndromes in the lower back. Acupuncture seems to
have a better rate of pain reversal than traditional methods especially when
managed over a longer period of time. Especially percutaneous nerve stimulation
via electro acupuncture relives pain more effectively than regular acupuncture.
Chronic
Head, Neck and Shoulder pain: Acupuncture
is shown to have good improvements in the areas of head, neck and shoulder
pains while adding to the overall health and vibrancy of life. With relatively
lower costs of treatment than standard treatments and little to no side
effects, this form of treatment is well received by many.
Arthritis:
People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as well as osteoarthritis and
in particular knee osteoarthritis benefit hugely from acupuncture. Electro
acupuncture with a strong stimulation can be used effectively to treat the
symptoms.
Other
forms of pain: Such as post-operative pains, chronic prostrate and
pelvic pains, lateral epicondylitis pain, labor pain, irritable bowel syndrome
etc are showing promising results with the use of acupuncture.
In general it has been found that acupuncture is well
received by most takers, with a small percentage having mild symptoms such as
tiredness, local pain, etc. Patients experiencing painful conditions are well
suited to this form of treatment and can be recommended for many common
syndromes.
Ref: Web site
at www.aafp.org/afp
